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.