ABSTRACT
The United Kingdom is a unitary state consisting of two kingdoms (England and Scotland), one principality (Wales) and one province (Northern Ireland), all of which retain a distinct cultural identity. The right of ownership is established by the possession of the interest in land known as the freehold. The only other method of occupying land to the exclusion of others is under the tenure known as leasehold. Urban Development Corporations, local authorities and other economic development agencies do however play an important role in assembling land for development in partnership with the private sector. Three key dimensions have characterized geographical mobility of the population during the post-war period: the change in the balance between north and south; and the urban-rural shift from larger metropolitan centres to smaller cities and towns, including those situated in relatively remote areas. The final key dimension is suburbanization and city-regional decentralization from the larger metropolitan centres to their commuting hinterlands.
