ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the way in which the law is a reflection of the society and the system of which it is a part, and the ways in which the law, its use and abuse, influence the urban development process. Law is a weapon in the struggle over resources, often a very powerful weapon, so that those who control the making and the implementation of law have or may have a head-start on the control of society’s resources. While using the legal language of English town planning law, and the legal institution of a court, presided over by a judge applying “sound town planning principles” the Zimbabwean system was in reality a key tool in the creation and maintenance of a system of urban separate development – racial segregation. The system should aim to contribute to righting the present imbalance towards the well-off in most urban development processes.
