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Peter Hall

Great Planning Disasters

With a new introduction.
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$26.95, paperback

9780520046078

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329 pages,
March 1982, Not available in British Commonwealth
Also in: Architectural History
In this "pathology of planning," Peter Hall briskly recounts the histories of five great planning disasters and two near-disasters and analyzes the decisions of the professional bureaucrats, community activists, and politicians involved in the planning process. He draws on an eclectic body of theory from political science, economics, ethics, and long-range future forecasting to suggest ways to forestall such grand mistakes in the future. For this edition, Hall has added a special introduction in which he reflects further on the sequels to these cautionary tales and on the moral planners and citizens should draw from them.
"Commendable lucidity...How to be wise before rather than after the event."—Observer

"Peter Hall's book deserves to be a best-seller...It looks at the blunders which we have made—or which have been made in our name—and points to ways in which they might be avoided in the future. The tragedy is that we show few signs of having learned by our mistakes."—Town and Country Planning

"An absorbing history of five recent legendary white elements..."—Daily Telegraph (London)

"Peter Hall's most stimulating book to date...perceptive about the way in which our politicians confront major decisions affecting our environment."—Building
"Wide-ranging, significant, and readable...It will earn respect in non-academics as well as academic circles. A first-rate job."—Lloyd Rodwin
List of Tables
List of Figures
Preface
Introduction to the American Edition

1. Overview

PART ONE: CASE STUDIES
2. London's Third Airport
3. London's Motorways
4. THe Anglo-French Concorde
5. San Francisco's BART System
6. Sydney's Opera House
7. Two Near-Disasters: California's New Campuses and Britain's National Library

PART TWO: ANALYSIS
8. Approaching the Problem
9. The Actors: (1) The Community
10. The Actors: (2) The Bureaucracy
11. The Actors: (3) The Politicians
12. The Actors in Concert
13. Towards Perscription

Notes
Reference
Index
Urban Studies Bestsellers
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