ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book examines the differing administrative structures for planning in Finland and the United States. It addresses the effects which the Israeli-Palestinian negotiations have had on regional planning and development in Israel. The book discusses that development and planning initiatives are doomed to failure unless political stability is achieved. It provides a comparative analysis of the impact of development on population change in China and India. The book also discusses how the quite distinctive development path chosen by each country has contributed to diverse approaches to policy formulation and, subsequently, to population control measures. It examines housing standards and regulations and the role of public, private and informal sections in the provision of middle class housing.
