First published in 1983, this book attempts to unify two bodies of theory which had become severely disjointed. Theories of the planning process had become detached from those of the urban and regional processes which are the subject of planning intervention. The author argues that major weaknesses of planning intervention in cities and regions have resulted from this split, and shows how it is possible to develop an integrated theory of the relationship between planning and spatial development.

1 Introduction; 2 Alternative assumptions of planning theories; Introduction: epistemological considerations Positivism Idealism Rationalism The normative and the positive Distinctive assumptions for theorizing planning Summary; 3 Marginalist theories of planning; Introduction Unitary modes Atomistic modes Conclusions; 4 Planning and consensus: a review of the critics; Introduction: scientific management and rationality in planning Undermining the consensus in British planning Simmie, Bailey and sociological conflict theory Harvey and the critique of liberal pragmatism Fragmentation in social science Flaws in liberal integration Conclusions; 5 The Berkeley school: structural-functional planning theory; Introduction Values, functions and spatial structures Functionalist principles in planning practice Problems with structural functionalism as a planning theory; 6 Theories of development processes I; Introductions: evaluation criteria Theories of regional development Regional disequilibrium theories Keynesian regional development models; 7 Theories of development processes II; Urban development theories Core-periphery theories Unequal exchange theories Capital logic theories; 8 The state, the local state and development planning; Theories of the state Theories of the local state Specificity and autonomy Levels of planning and spheres of struggle; 9 Labour markets, local classes and development planning; Theories of labour market differentiation Spatially differentiated labour markets Class structure and class relations Development planning and socio-spatial recomposition; 10 Planning and spatial development: some deductions and connections; Some deductions for planning Planning of socially-useful production Recent theories of planning Planning and spatial development: a conceptual framework; Notes; References; Index