Property Rights, Planning and Markets

by Chris Webster, Lawrence Wai-Chung Lai, Jancis Wai-Chung Robinson

This book represents a major innovation in the institutional analysis of cities and their planning, management and governance. Using concepts of transaction costs and property rights, the work shows systematically how urban order evolves as individuals co-operate in cities for mutual gain. Five kinds of urban order are examined, arising as co-operating individuals seek to reduce the costs of transacting with each other. These are organisational order (combinations of property rights), institutional order (rules and sanctions), proprietary order (fragmentation of property rights), spatial order and public domain order. Property Rights, Planning and Markets also offers an institutional interpretation of urban planning and management that challenges both the view that planning inevitably conflicts with freedom of contract and the view that its function is a means of correcting market failures. Real life examples from countries and regions around the world are used to illustrate the universal relevance of theoretical generalisations, which will be welcomed by a new generation of policymakers and students who take on a world view that goes beyond national boundaries.

264 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 2003

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.

Chris Webster read English at St David's, Lampeter, and took a Master's degree in Education at Sheffield University. He is now a teacher and writer. His first educational publication was Poetry Through Humour and Horror (Cassell, 1987). This was followed by many more educational publications including books for KS3 and GCSE English Language and Literature, published by Hodder, and the best-selling 100 Literacy Hours (Scholastic, 1997/2005). More recently he has published study notes on the poetry of Christina Rossetti and Ezra Pound. He has also published some volumes of poetry and several novels, the most recent of which is entitled Murder at St Cuthbert's: A Commodore 64 Mystery. He uses his full name, Christopher Webster, for his novels and short stories on Dark Age and Medieval history.