Readings in Planning Theory

This fourth edition is the best-available compendium and analysis of planning theory. Remarkably, the editors manage to retain many of the foundational readings while also producing a volume that is overwhelmingly grounded in new scholarship. This expands the canon to show how theory can be inspired and produced by practitioners and scholars engaged with far more than the United States and Europe. Lawrence J. Vale, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Already the recipient of widespread acclaim in academic circles, this new edition of Readings in Planning Theory further enhances its reputation as the definitive resource for the latest theoretical and practical debates within the field of planning theory. Overall, readings continue to address an enduring question posed by planning theory: What role can planning play in developing the good city and region within the constraints of a capitalist global economy and varying political systems? Featuring numerous updates and revisions that reflect the rapidly changing dynamics of an increasingly globalized world, readings (two thirds of which are new to this edition) offer innovative approaches to existing topics, along with ground-breaking insights into zoning, economic development, links between planning theory and practice, and more. A section on the developing world is new to this edition as are several case studies aimed at showing the theoretical issues underlying planning in practice. The general introduction and part introductions by the editors provide a framework for understanding the readings. Readings in Planning Theory, Fourth Edition, offers invaluable guidance and insights into myriad issues faced by planners as theorists and practitioners in the opening decades of the new millennium.