Principles of Town Planning – Translating Concepts to Applications

This accessibly written textbook provides a clear and systematic introduction to the fundamental principles of town planning, applied within the context of the common-law land market. Using an innovative structure of key propositions, sections cover basic definitions and concepts of urban planning, physical planning principles and applications, development control, and policy issues relating to human settlement and property values. Informed by foundational concepts of property rights and cadastral boundaries, the book also covers sustainable urban development and renewal.

Key Features:

• Each chapter includes concise propositions on planning principles, chapter summaries and discussion questions to facilitate learning.
• A clear account of fundamental town planning concepts and their applications in terms of property rights, land markets, and basic urban development.
• With a strong focus on practice rather than theory, the book is underpinned by Ronald Coase’s neo-institutional economic concepts on the allocation of resources in town planning.

This is an invaluable textbook for undergraduate and postgraduate students in the fields of town planning, urban development and surveying. It will also be beneficial for the professional development of practitioners and town planners who want to expand their knowledge of the key concepts in the field.

Lawrence W.C. Lai, Ronald Coase Centre for Property Rights Research, Department of Real Estate & Construction, University of Hong Kong and Jason W.Y. Kwong, Senior Director, Valuation and Advisory Services, Asia, Colliers International (Hong Kong) Limited, Hong Kong