ABSTRACT
Without detracting attention from contemporary policy failures in urban management, the historical roots of existing urban forms and institutions for the management of developing country cities have to be properly understood. This chapter explores existing literature on the study of colonial urbanism, identifying the main approaches used in studying post-colonial cities and what main findings are drawn out from such studies. It examines aspects of public/private provision of public services, technological standards, density levels and financial arrangements for cost recovery. The chapter reviews literature related to decentralization - a response to the perceived failure of centralized planning and control. The prevalence of informal settlements in most developing countries is often attributed to the failure of allocative mechanisms to deliver land for housing to the entire cross-section of communities. Institutional, technical and legislative arrangements are identified as contributing to the failure in the land delivery process.
