Reviews (1)

Get a Broad spectrum of Urban Planning for the Beginner
This book gives a broad spectrum of what to expect in the planning field,but there are a few flaws.One is that the book is not written for thetechnocratic planner, it is written for the beginner or someone who is notgoing to make planning their career.But this book will give the beginnera broad basis to start from and for this I do suggest the beginner to readthis before they choose planning as a career. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. City planning    2. Political Science    3. Politics / Current Events    4. Politics/International Relations    5. Public Policy - City Planning & Urban Dev.    6. Public Policy - Regional Planning    7. Sociology - Urban    8. United States    9. Urban Planning    10. Urban Policy    11. Urbanization    12. Political Science / General    13. Political science & theory    14. Urban communities   

Subjects:  1. City planning    2. Environmental Engineering & Technology    3. General    4. Political Science    5. Politics / Current Events    6. Politics/International Relations    7. Public Policy - Regional Planning    8. Sociology - Urban    9. Urban Planning    10. Urban renewal    11. Political Science / City Planning & Urban Development    12. Regional geography    13. Urban communities    14. Urban renewal & regeneration   

Reviews (2)

Packed with Knowledge!
Every once in a while a little book comes along that, while small in size, carries sufficient intellectual weight to strike the body politic between the eyes, thereby getting its collective attention. This may be one such book. It offers a realistic look at megaprojects - those major infrastructure endeavors that span vast bodies of water, dam natural resources to generate energy and extend rail lines to previously unreachable regions - and compares the promises of these projects to what they actually deliver. The report card isn't very good. Cost overruns are typically 25% to 100%, and sometimes 200% or more. Worse yet, studies show that the public tends to use megaprojects - be they airports or subway systems - only a fraction of the amount predicted. We strongly recommends this book to politicians, legislators and anyone who wants to know the truth behind these huge infrastructure projects, as well as to CEOs, CFOs, project managers and risk officers in the private sector - this applies to your projects, even if there is a difference of scale.

A fool,his money and the bridge that parted them.......
I am the first amazon.com reviewer of this short, but important book. It concerns me that this might reflect a diminished U.S. readership.That would be unfortunate. Professor Bent Flyvbjerg and his colleagues have written a book of significance to taxpayers everywhere.It's apparent that they have written this book largely for the policy-maker; yet, make no mistake about it:the ordinary taxpayer has a major stake in this book's message.The central characters in Megaprojects and Risk are three large-scale, European transportation projects:the Chunnel, the Great Belt and the Oresund.American readers unfamilar with these names (the chunnel connecting London and Paris is perhaps the most recognizable to American readers)will nonetheless recognize familiar features.Specifically, they will find project costs that exceed estimates, and revenue inflows that are below projections.The traits are not unique to these projects.In fact, cost over-runs and revenue disappointments are a familiar global refrain, according to these authors.In spite of this, the number and scale of infrastructure projects continues to grow, forming what they call the megaproject paradox.The book is stronger on documenting problems, including the lack of project post-audits, than on providing solutions.I think they have correctly identified the problem -- the lack of accountability throughout the project life-cycle -- but their solution, which largely involves ensuring a healthy segment of private capital not supported by state guarantees, together with more attention to genuine risk assessment, falls short of the mark.The risk assessment tools are firmly established and largely well-understood (Monte Carlo simulation packages are increasingly available).So is the "moral hazard" problem that rears its ugly head when projects (in this case) are "over-insured."The difficulty, which they acknowledge, is that the political interplay between state, private interests and NGOs are decisive in determining whether and to what extent the appropriate risk assessment and risk management tools are used. Read more

Subjects:  1. Economics - General    2. Project Management    3. Risk management    4. Social Science    5. Sociology    6. Sociology - General    7. Economics    8. Environmental science    9. Regional & Area Planning    10. Social Science / Sociology / General    11. Social issues    12. Social, group or collective psychology   

Reviews (3)

Good Start
I am a former Army intelligence officer and I think that this was a good first cut at the topic.I was enrolled in a Homeland Security class that used this text.We studied the system and response of DHS and then the following week Katrina hit followed by Rita.What should have happened and what actually happened leave much to be fixed.The description of terrorism was so lacking that the instructor allowed me to teach the class.The information on chemical and biological agents looked like it came out of a Hazmat class manual.To be a better book it needs to be updated and revised.FEMA has free online classes which the authors should consider in their update. This book was great as no other book attempted to put together the area of homeland security under the new DHS.

Professor
This is an excellent book talking about the policies, organization, and functions of the Department of Homeland Security. The author's provide an historical overview of the terrorist threat which is concise and highlights the September 11 timeline. The life cycle of emergency managment is presented by introducing several case studies which provide incite into failures of preparedness and response to terrorist incidents worldwide. The importance of communications and technology is discussed to help prevent and deter terrorism in security organizations. It is a book that everyone in security management should read.

The dynamic that is Homeland Security
Introduction to Homeland Security provides a comprehensive view of the dynamics of homeland security in the United States from the view of experienced emergency management facilitators.This is accomplished by providing a historical overview of the terrorist threat which culminates with the September 11th terrorist attacks and thereafter the various legislative, executive orders and organizational actions which lead to the largest re-organization of the federal government in recent history which results in the formation and creation of the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS).An in-depth discussion and view of the pre-Katrina DHS are provided with applicable questions regarding the functionality and capabilities of this new department.Homeland security hazards are discussed with emphasis also placed on the safety and security of various aspects of the infrastructure of our society.The text also discusses the addition of prevention to the comprehensive emergency management life cycle of mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery.The book concludes with a discussion of the importance of effective communications with special emphasis placed on risk communications; the various types of technology being employed and various technology players and their activities; and, provides a discussion of the future of homeland security.
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Subjects:  1. Civil defense    2. Government - National    3. Government - U.S. Government    4. Government policy    5. National security    6. Political Freedom & Security - International Secur    7. Political Freedom & Security - Law Enforcement    8. Political Science    9. Politics / Current Events    10. Politics/International Relations    11. Prevention    12. Public Policy - Regional Planning    13. Terrorism    14. United States    15. Political Science / Regional Planning    16. Social impact of disasters   

Reviews (3)

Make that 3 1/2 stars
Actually, I would have given "Making Your Move" 4 stars had I found the descriptions of the individual towns more interesting.But, what I did find was a witty style of writing, some laugh-out-loud moments, and some very down-to-earth advice on the pearls and perils of small-town life.One might apply Norm's smart and insightful guidelines to just about any sparsely populated area in the quest for new habitation.So even though his selections failed to fire me up, they did make me realize that I may not be cut out for small-town living after all.And that, in itself, is worth far more than the price of a book.Thanks, Norm, and make that four stars.
Part of the story
This book is a good place to start if you're thinking of moving to a town of 15,000 or less. It will point you to many interesting communities. However, having used his previous book to guide my last move, and as a resident of one of the towns highlighted in this book (Grinnell), I can honestly say that data only carries you so far. Crampton could provide readers with a great benefit by lengthening the amount of description and flavor for each town. In particular, one key element missing is the 'dynamic' of a town: is it progressive? conservative? excited about education? quick to vote down taxes and bonds? These elements form the 'culture' of a small town, and believe me, the culture of a small town will be *very* important to you!

A good guide to start
As a resident of one of the 120 "best small towns" recommended by Norman Crampton, I was delighted to see Silver City on the list. Read more

Subjects:  1. Business / Economics / Finance    2. Census And General Statistics    3. Cities and towns    4. Environmental Planning And Management    5. Public Policy - Regional Planning    6. Rating    7. Ratings    8. Real Estate - Buying/Selling Homes    9. Statistics    10. Travel    11. United States    12. United States - General    13. Urban-rural migration    14. House maintenance    15. Housing & property for the individual    16. USA   

Reviews (18)

Maybe I'm confused, but...
I give this book five stars.
How Cities Work
For a beginner Public Administration Masters student, this text provided an excellent intro into some far reaching subjects. I used it to focus on the relationship between transportation and urban/suburban growth.The examples were easy to follow and correlated with other professional writings that I have found relating to this discussion thread.I highly recommend this book for getting your feet wet in the transportation side of public administration, or simply for examination of your local communities' current and possible growth concerns.

Wishing for more....
The author and I had the good fortune to grow up in cities shaped by the street car. Even though the cars were going or gone by the 1950's, many cities retained the urban patterns established sixty and seventy years before. Hoping that light-rail might bring about a return of street car city neighborhoods, I was looking for useful information that might fuel the cause of light-rail. From that aspect the book was disappointing.
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Subjects:  1. Cities and towns    2. City planning    3. Growth    4. Political Science    5. Public Policy - City Planning & Urban Dev.    6. Public Policy - Regional Planning    7. Social psychology    8. Sociology    9. Sociology - Urban    10. Suburbs    11. City & town planning - architectural aspects    12. Political Science / City Planning & Urban Development    13. USA    14. Urban communities   

Subjects:  1. Architecture    2. Case studies    3. Environmental Conservation & Protection - General    4. Land use, Urban    5. Local transit    6. Planning    7. Political Science    8. Politics/International Relations    9. Public Policy - City Planning & Urban Dev.    10. Public Policy - Regional Planning    11. Public Transportation    12. Transportation and state    13. United States    14. Architecture / Planning    15. Transport planning & policy    16. Transportation / Public Transportation   

Reviews (1)

Not a Great Textbook
If you are looking for the philospohy of how urban planning has been viewed through time then maybe this is the book for you.However as a text book it lacks a clear presentation of the information and is incredibly dull.When you read the chapters you have to continually look back at the overview to remember what they are rambling on about.I only gave it 2 stars instead of one because it does have a nice discussion on the philosophy of urban planning. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cities and towns    2. City and town life    3. History    4. Public Policy - Regional Planning    5. Social Science    6. Sociology    7. Sociology - Urban    8. Sociology, Urban    9. Urban Planning    10. Urban Sociology    11. Social Science / Sociology / General   

Subjects:  1. Architecture    2. Architecture and society    3. Citizen participation    4. City planning    5. Community Development    6. Community organization    7. Planning    8. Political Science    9. Politics/International Relations    10. Public Policy - City Planning & Urban Dev.    11. Public Policy - Regional Planning    12. Sociology - General    13. Urban Planning    14. Architecture / Planning    15. City & town planning - architectural aspects    16. Industrial / Commercial Art & Design    17. Social theory   

Reviews (1)

Program Planning and Evaluation for the Public Manager
I consider this book to be very informative to program planning and evaluation.The authors included a complete and thorough explanation of system concepts, functions/techniques of planning, internal processes, outcome evaluation, cost benefit analysis and evaluation designs.Read more

Subjects:  1. Administrative agencies    2. Evaluation    3. Political Science    4. Political Science / Public Affairs & Administration    5. Political Science / Regional Planning    6. Politics/International Relations    7. Public Affairs & Administration    8. Public administration    9. Public Policy - Regional Planning   

Subjects:  1. General    2. Government & Business    3. Political Science    4. Politics / Current Events    5. Politics/International Relations    6. Public Policy - Regional Planning    7. Strategic Planning    8. POLITICS & GOVERNMENT    9. Political Science / General    10. Sociology, Social Studies   

Reviews (3)

Searching for theory behind praxis
Once I started reading this book I could not put it aside for long. Perhaps this is because so many of the insights that the author offers on what practioners of deliberative planning and rural development actually do resonates so much with the work I am involved with in Indonesia and the Philippines. Planning in a Pluralist World
As Forester explains in his Introduction makes, the title of his book is an intentional reference to Don Sch�n's path breaking The Reflective Practitioner. To use a trite clich�, that his book begins where Sch�n's book left off. There is, on the one hand, a remarkable similarity between the way Sch�n frames the situation the planner faces on the one hand, and Forester's description of the planner's world and his concept of deliberation on the other. The difference is in Forester's upfront, no-illusion understanding of the conflict-ridden nature of the world of planners and policy makers. Where Sch�n's reflection-in-action can, perhaps somewhat unfairly, be read as an improvement of the received view of professional knowledge as the sage expert who solves complex problems for clients in need, Forester has no illusions anymore about the moral and instrumental bankruptcy of the expert model. This becomes nowhere as clear as when we look at the examples each author uses. Where Sch�n uses one-on-one encounters between a psychotherapist and his supervisee, or an architect and his student, Forester examples include a bitter, entrenched fight over urban development in the Oslo harbour, a black home buyer counsellor in the overtly racist environment of a low income white settlement house, or housing improvement among poor campesinos in rural Venezuela. "Listen to Stories, Learn in Practice"
John Forester's latest book entitled "The Deliberative Practitioner encouraging Participatory Planning Process", (MIT press, Cambridge, Massachusetts, London, England, 1999) develops the key ideas of his earlier writings on participatory planning processes by examining the challenges and difficulties of planning in the midst of contested power relationships.Read more

Subjects:  1. Citizen participation    2. City planning    3. Development - Economic Development    4. Political Science    5. Political planning    6. Politics / Current Events    7. Politics/International Relations    8. Public Policy - City Planning & Urban Dev.    9. Public Policy - Regional Planning    10. Regional planning    11. Sociology - Urban    12. Science / Environmental Science    13. Urban & municipal planning   

Subjects:  1. Environmental Engineering & Technology    2. Environmental Impact Analysis    3. Environmental Monitoring    4. Environmental Science    5. Environmental Studies    6. Environmental impact statement    7. Environmental impact statements    8. National Environmental Policy    9. Public Policy - Regional Planning    10. Science    11. Science/Mathematics    12. Technical Writing    13. United States    14. Law / Environmental    15. Pollution & threats to the environment   

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business/Economics    3. Computer Simulation    4. Decision making    5. Environmental Economics    6. Environmental Science    7. Environmental Studies    8. Environmental management    9. Environmental sciences    10. Natural Resources    11. Public Policy - Environmental Policy    12. Simulation methods    13. Political Science / Regional Planning    14. The Environment   

Reviews (1)

Must-have book for those who care about the Environment
OVERVIEW.This book is written by scientists, engineers and economists who have been at the forefront of environmental assessment and the incorporation of industrial ecology in environmental assessments since 1970 when the National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA) was passed.As practitioners and academicians, the authors apply their wealth of knowledge, experience and expertise gained over the past three decades to (1) bring order to the chaotic mass of environmental legislation, regulation, executive orders, policy acts, documents, and reports; and to (2) provide readers with a systematic, interdisciplinary step-by-step procedure for preparing environmental assessments and statements.They solve the problem, and help reader's solve the particular manifestation of the problem in the reader's life.Read more

Subjects:  1. Environmental Engineering & Technology    2. Environmental Impact Analysis    3. Environmental Monitoring    4. Environmental Science    5. Environmental policy    6. Natural Resources    7. Political Science    8. Public Policy - Regional Planning    9. Science/Mathematics    10. Technology & Industrial Arts    11. United States    12. Environment law    13. Technology / Environmental    14. USA   

Reviews (2)

Great interdisciplinary book on environmental modeling
A highly readable introduction to environmental modeling.What distinguishes the book from other environmental science and environmental modeling works is its interdisciplinary treatment.In particular, themodels integrate the physical world and the world of human behavior.Fartoo many environmental models fail to close the feedbacks between humanbehavior and the state of the environment, instead taking waste inputs orresource use as exogenous.This book helps students learn to model humanbehavior (social and economic) as an integral part of the ecologicalsystem.The models and software mean the book encourages active learning,and enable students to explore important issues on their own if theychoose.

Modeling the Environment
This book is easy to read and contains clear examples of how to use stella software to model the environment. The marvel here is the software, not the book. For the software timid, it might suppliment the software users guide. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Environmental Conservation & Protection - General    2. Environmental Science    3. Environmental Studies    4. Environmental sciences    5. Nature/Ecology    6. Public Policy - General    7. Public Policy - Regional Planning    8. Science    9. Simulation methods    10. Environmental economics    11. Mathematical modelling    12. Political Science / Public Policy   

Reviews (2)

For consultants, worth its weight in gold
While not a cookbook, this is definitely a "how-to" book by a woman who's forgotten more about "how to" than I'll ever know. Betty explains not only how to research, analyze, and document the entirespectrum of possible environmental impacts, but why, and she does it ineasily accessible language. The bulk of her experience is intransportation, and it shows in the text, but the principles and proceduresapply to any federal project. I made sure my staff had a copy so theywouldn't keep swiping mine. Thanks, Betty, we needed this...it's everythingyou promised and more! The best all-in-one handbook for environmental practitioners
This would be excellent for use as a college textbook in engineering, planning, or administrative curricula.As a guide throught the environmental regulations maze, it is an invaluable to consultants and agency personnel alike.The advice and tips related to preparing better quality and more efficient environmental documents is well worth the investment in this book. C. Huntington Assistant Vice President Parsons Brinckerhoff ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Business/Economics    2. Engineering - General    3. Environment    4. Environmental Engineering & Technology    5. Environmental Impact Analysis    6. Environmental policy    7. Political Science    8. Public Policy - Regional Planning    9. Reference    10. Technology & Industrial Arts    11. United States    12. Environmental factors    13. Environmental science    14. Technology / Environmental    15. The Environment   

Subjects:  1. Crisis management in government    2. Disasters & Disaster Relief    3. Emergency management    4. Gulf Coast    5. Hurricane Katrina, 2005    6. Political Science    7. Politics - Current Events    8. Politics / Current Events    9. Politics/International Relations    10. Public Policy - City Planning & Urban Dev.    11. Public Policy - General    12. Public Policy - Regional Planning    13. Public Policy - Social Services & Welfare    14. Social impact of disasters    15. USA    16. Urban & municipal planning   

Reviews (8)

One of the best textbooks I have ever owned
The writing is clear and concise and Garvin does a great job of making the material interesting and relevant!

Multidiscipinary approach to Creating Change
Mr. Garvin addresses the key factors that actually create effective change for cities today.He places a heavy emphasis on sound real estate financing, but he also demonstrates the need for effective government action and political leadership to spur private develoopments.When combined with good design and a proper reading of market forces, American Cities can and will be changed for the benefit of all its citizens. High on concrete details, low on theoritical underpinnings
Garvin's text is of course a classic for students of American cities. As a sourcebook on successes and failures in cities all over the country it is unsurpassed. Garvin shows a depth of knowledge in planning issues that is deeply rooted in expertise in real estate development, economics, and politics. His insights into "what works" shows a lifetime of knowing the ins and outs of how urban developments get done in the real world. Read more

Subjects:  1. Architecture    2. Case studies    3. City planning    4. Planning    5. Politics / Current Events    6. Public Policy - City Planning & Urban Dev.    7. Public Policy - Regional Planning    8. Sociology - Urban    9. United States    10. Urban Planning    11. Architecture / Planning    12. City & town planning - architectural aspects    13. USA    14. Urban renewal & regeneration   

Reviews (3)

A no-nonsense guide to understanding what zoning is
The Complete Guide To Zoning: How Real Estate Owners and Developers Can Create and Preserve Property Value is a no-nonsense guide to understanding what zoning is and how to use it to protect one's property rights and interests. Zoning and Land-Use Law controls what can be done with land and how it can be developed; The Complete Guide To Zoning offers the lay reader a very short course in the law, the importance of knowing what one has, what one wants, and how to get it, the value of creating and leveraging relationships, when to reach out for support, preparing winning applications and making successful presentations, strategies for winning zoning battles, and much more. Chapters give equal focus to pursuing one's desire to develop land commercially, or the desire to see that adjoining lands to one's residential area are not developed commercially. Written in plain terms, The Complete Guide To Zoning is highly accessible regardless of the reader's legal background, and a "must-read" for property owners everywhere.
Great Book
As the Director of Planning and Development for a mid sized city in CT for the last 16 years, I highly reccomend this book. All planners and developers should read it.

A Great Insiders Look at Zoning
The Complete Guide to Zoning
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Subjects:  1. Administrative Law & Regulatory Practice    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Environmental Planning And Management    4. Land Use    5. Land Utilization    6. Law    7. Public Policy - Regional Planning    8. Real Estate    9. Real Estate - General    10. United States    11. Zoning law    12. Business & Economics / Real Estate    13. Reference