Book dossier

Land and the city

by Philip Kivell

Land and the City presents a broad and succinct analysis of land use patterns and processes in urban areas. Land has the greatest significance for the spatial patterning and functioning of modern urban settlements and societies. Land provides the basic morphological elements of the city, is a source of social and economic power, is intimately bound up with environmental issues and lies at the heart of planning. Philip Kivell examines the way in which land in both theoretical and practical senses. He examines the empirical data to reveal how land is used and how those uses are changing in the contemporary city. Particular attention is paid to the misuse of land through vacancy or dereliction. He also explores the importance of land ownership and the principles of land policy using case studies. Finally, he assesses land use implications of major urban change - deindustrialisation, counter-urbanisation and new technology. For the first time the overall significance of land use and ownership are examined in an urban geographical and planning context. Land and the City focusses on the practical and applied land use issues in the developed world, drawing on examples from Britain, the rest of Europe, North America, Japan and Australia.