Updated in a new 9th edition, Contemporary Urban Planning provides readers with in-depth coverage of the historic, economic, political, legal, and environmental factors affecting urban planning. With updated coverage of the Obama administration's response to the 2009 economic downturn, Levy also addresses the most pressing issues in urban development today - including the subprime mortgage crisis and home foreclosures, federal funding for public transportation, and new standards for "green" buildings.

Table of Contents

Preface Acknowledgements PART 1 THE BACKGROUND AND DEVELOPMENT OF CONTEMPORARY PLANNING 1 An Overview The Need for Planning The Specific Concerns of Planning Who Are the Planners? Professional Organizations Satisfactions and Discontents Useful Abilities The Plan of This Book Note 2 The Urbanization of America Urbanization in the Nineteenth Century Urban Trends in the Twentieth Century Summary Notes Selected Bibliography 3 The History of Planning: Part I Colonial America Limited Means and Growing Problems The Pressure for Reform The Birth of Modern City Planning The Public Control of Private Property The Emergence of Regional and State Planning Grander Visions Summary Notes Selected Bibliography 4 The History of Planning: Part II Planning and the Great Depression The Postwar Period Summary Notes Selected Bibliography PART 2 THE STRUCTURE AND PRACTICE OF CONTEMPORARY PLANNING 5 The Legal Basis of Planning The Constitutional Framework Public Control over Private Property The Rights of Nonresidents The Fight over Eminent Domain State-Enabling Legislation The Federal Role Summary Notes Selected Bibliography 6 Planning and Politics Why Is Planning Political? Planners and Power The Fragmentation of Power Styles of Planning How Planning Agencies Are Organized Summary Notes Selected Bibliography 7 The Social Issues The Social Issues in Planning for Housing Other Issues Who Does Social Planning? Summary Notes Selected Bibliography 8 The Comprehensive Plan The Goals of Comprehensive Planning The Comprehensive Planning Process How Effective Are Comprehensive Plans? Summary Notes Selected Bibliography 9 The Tools of Land-Use Planning Public Capital Investment Land-Use Controls Making Zoning More Flexible Form-Based Zoning Other Types of Local Land-Use Controls Combining Capital Investment and Land-Use Controls Forces Beyond Local Control Summary Notes Selected Bibliography PART 3 FIELDS OF PLANNING 10 Urban Design What Is Urban Design? The Urban Design Process What Is Good Urban Design? Replanning Suburbia: The Neotraditionalists Edge City Visions of the City of the Future Coming to Terms with the Automobile Summary Notes Selected Bibliography 11 Urban Renewal and Community Development Urban Renewal Community Development The Housing Question Planning for Housing The Housing Bubble and the Problem of Abandonment Summary Notes Selected Bibliography 12 Transportation Planning Recent Trends in Urban Transportation Paying for Transportation Transportation Planning and Land Use The Transportation Planning Process Changes in the Federal Role Fine-Tuning the System The Growing Role of Tolls and Privatization Smart Highways, Intelligent Vehicles, and New Machines Summary Notes Selected Bibliography 13 Economic Development Planning Historic Roots Perspectives on Local Economic Development State Economic Development Efforts Local Economic Development Programs Summary Notes Selected Bibliography 14 Growth Management, Smart Growth, and Sustainable Development The Origins of Growth Management Winners and Losers in Growth Management A Sampling of Local Growth Management Programs State-Level Growth Management Growth Management--Pro or Con? The Challenge of Smart Growth Planning for Sustainability Summary Notes Selected Bibliography 15 Environmental and Energy Planning The Environmental Planning Problem Environmental Progress at the National Level The Question of Global Climate Change Environmental Policy During the Bush and Obama Administration The Intergovernment Context of Environmental Planning Economic and Political Issues in Environmental Planning Local Environmental Planning An Example of Environmental Planning Energy Planning Summary Notes Selected Bibliography 16 Planning for Metropolitan Regions The Political Problem A Brief History of Metropolitan-Area Planning Minneapolis--St. Paul: A Tale of Two Cities The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey The Atlanta Regional Commission Summary Notes Selected Bibliography PART 4 LARGER QUESTIONS 17 National Planning in the United States Is There National Planning in the United States? The Pattern of Land Settlement Establishing the Rail Network Water and the West Systematic Regional Planning The Interstate Highway System Financing the Suburbs Land Management What's Next? Summary Notes Selected Bibliography 18 Planning in Other Nations Planning in Western Europe Planning in Eastern Europe Planning in the Third World A Look Ahead Summary Notes Selected Bibliography 19 Planning Theory Is Theory Necessary? A Distinction Between Public and Private Planning The Process of Planning Advocacy Planning Planning from Right and Left Summary Notes Selected Bibliography Index