ABSTRACT
As practised in market economies, urban planning has consisted of the imposition of a framework of rules, presented as being neutral, and legitimized on the grounds of being in the 'public' interest. However, within the urban Third World, characterized by extreme social and economic inequalities, it is not difficult to show that the neutrality of planning is a myth. Not surprisingly, many Western observers are dismayed to find the reproduction of similar environments in the 'planned' parts of Third World cities and in Third World new towns in particular. In the Third World, the preoccupations with respect to urban problems are very different. Articulate sections of the population demand more, rather than less, planning action by State agencies. The planned new towns manifest the contrasts and contradictions of Third World cities most markedly. The chapter also presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book.
