The Cost of Land Use Decisions Applying Transaction Cost Economics to Planning and Development

The ongoing debate between market vs government in planning is tackled in this important new book. By applying transaction cost economics to an evaluation of land use systems, the author provided a fresh angle and a useful contribution to a growing field of study for researchers in urban planning, public administration and land economics. The book explains the relevance of the cost of land use decisions to planning practice and analyses institutions and transaction costs. Evidence is provided from three systematic empirical studies. Detailed analyses are made of the planning of Nijmegen - Holland being known for its plan-led development; Bristol - where the UK planning system is characterised by being development-led and discretionary; and Houston, generally regarded as the city with no planning at all.

Edwin Buitelaar is an assistant professor in the department of Spatial Planning of the Radboud University Nijmegen, the Netherlands. Since February 2007 he also works as a researcher at the Netherlands Institute for Spatial Research in The Hague. His research concentrates on land markets and land use planning from an institutional angle.