ABSTRACT
Land-use planning, including residential development, is largely the
province of local governments in the United States, a traditional respon
sibility that some critics cite as a contributor to the decline of many older
core cities. While no clear national urban policy has been developed in
the United States, federal agencies like the U.S. Department of Housing
and Urban Development (HUD) have instituted programs designed to
encourage local governments to address urban problems. This case dem
onstrates the interaction of federal government, local government, and
policy researchers in developing planning information concerning hous
ing. As is often the case, research is an indirect but potentially important
contribution to the policy process.