Customer Reviews

The Practice of Local Government Planning (Municipal Management Series)

5 star:		(2)
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3 star:		(1)
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If it had not been for this book, I would not have passed the AICP test. The format covers a wide range of planning issues from the history of planning to citizens workshops and the basic process of planning. All planners should have this book in their reference library.

This book is a must for planners working for municipal government, or those in the private or non-profit sector who wish to understand the framework of state planning.

Provides an overview of the concerns of contemporary planning from the state perspective and provides detailed analysis of how these issues can be addressed through local development control.

Against common sense, I used the second edition of this volume as a textbook in a graduate course I once taught at Alfred University--The Politics of Planning. I always thought it made sense to introduce students to the nitty gritty of local planning before expanding on the politics of the process.

This book, sometimes styled as "The Green Book" and, at other times, as "The Green Bible" provided my students the background on what local planning is like as a process. Once they understood that, we went into a detailed discussion of the politics of local planning.

The introductory section provides context for the subject, including a history of city planning. The second part of the book examines "District, Environmental, and Transportation Planning." Part Three looks at urban design and land use regulation. Next, Part Four, Economic and social planning. This area is somewhat more controversial. Social elements in planning? Part Five considers management, finance, and information. Finance and budgeting, obviously, are critical elements in planning. Part Six has just one chapter--focusing in the values of planners.

For students who might not be invested in the logistics and details of city planning, this book can be daunting. However, its value is revealed by the fact that my students responded well to it, addressed it seriously, and learned from it.

All in all, a fine volume, even though it is now, clearly, dated to some extent.