With increased awareness of the role of plans in shaping urban and suburban landscapes has come increased criticism of planners and the planning profession. Developers; politicians; and citizens alike blame "poor planning" for a host of community ills. But what are plans really supposed to do? How do they work? What problems can they successfully address; and what is beyond their scope? In Urban Development; leading planning scholar Lewis Hopkins tackles these thorny issues as he explains the logic of plans for urban development and justifies prescriptions about when and how to make them. He explores the concepts behind plans; some that are widely accepted but seldom examined; and others that modify conventional wisdom about the use and usefulness of plans. The book: places the role of plans and planners within the complex system of urban development offers examples from the history of plans and planning discusses when plans should be made (and when they should not be made) gives a realistic idea of what can be expected from plans examines ways of gauging the success or failure of plansThe author supports his explanations with graphics; case examples; and hypothetical illustrations that enliven; clarify; and make concrete the discussions of how decisions about plans are and should be made.Urban Development will give all those involved with planning human settlements a more thorough understanding of why and how plans are made; enabling them to make better choices about using and making plans. It is an important contribution that will be essential for students and faculty in planning theory; land use planning; and planning project courses.
#1985921 in eBooks 2012-10-03 2012-10-03File Name: B009KOWYLA
Review
9 of 10 people found the following review helpful. interesting observationsBy VolkanThis is a different type of travel book. less filled with first person stories or dialogues but full of anthropological. architectural. historical social observations of Tokyo. The author lived in Japan for over 50 years and is obviously fond of Japanese culture. The book gives a sense of what the life is like in Tokyo (as much as one can gather from reading a book).7 of 23 people found the following review helpful. A book for no one. Detestable.By M. S. VeldeThere seems to be more quotations in this book than original text. and half of them deal with London or Paris! There is no structure to the book: it is one continuous chapter very poorly written at that. The author makes an assertion in one paragraph only to contradict himself in the next.But the worst is not so much the style as the content. In this book. we "learn" that the Japanese are dirty (p.57). that they all look alike (p. 72). that they are like children (p. 88).I was extremely dissapointed. People who have lived fifty years in a place are usually able to convey something about it. This is not the case here. There seems to be no redeeming value about Tokyo. This is something with which I disagree. having myself lived there for more than ten years.This is not a book for people who would like to visit and not for people who have been there.This is a book for no one.
