Half the world's population lives in urban areas. In this major new reader in the field, Levent (Istanbul Technical U., Turkey) and professors of urban and regional planning/public policy from the US, UK, and the Netherlands introduce 33 reprinted classic articles from 1954-2001 that reflect issues, trends, and the changing context of planning from the perspectives of planning theory and practice, planning of urban settlements, future urban structure, urban planning in the developing world, urban planning models, and community involvement in urban planning. Theoretical issues with implications for practice treated include alternative paradigms and the interrelations between analytical techniques and planning goals. Other considerations discussed include the role of the economic base, the New Town movement, the impact of telecommunications, and sustainability. Indexed by author but not by subject. Annotation ©2009 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)