Vacant land, in Bowman and Pagano's study, may be a contaminated lot, an abandoned building, or a park. They believe vacant land can also be the ultimate urban resource. Based on a survey sent to every US town with a population over 50,000, their study identifies the fiscal, social, and development imperatives (including the dynamics of taxes) that drive the decisions local officials make about using or ignoring vacant land; they conclude with a model for making strategic decisions about land based on a city's priorities. Bowman teaches government at the U. of South Carolina, and Pagano is director of the graduate program in public administration, U. of Illinois at Chicago. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)