ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of the book. The book introduces the basic economic ideas which will underlie the analysis of planning policies. It analyses the reasons why intervention by government in land markets may be justifiable. The book focuses on how the developed ideas can be applied to the analysis of planning policies. It considers how different kinds of intervention used by planning authorities influence the workings of various parts of the urban economy. The book also considers a number of interactions between land-use policies and housing markets. It is concerned with the relationship between transport and land-use planning policies. The book outlines the evaluation of policies by identifying the kinds of cost and benefit which planning policies may produce.
