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With urban planning policy in transition in many parts of the world, the need to understand the theoretical bases for planning and to ground discussion about policy innovations on theory is as important as ever. This essay reviews the relevance of three economic paradigms to the theory of development control. It is written as a technical review with the purpose of explaining, contrasting and contextualising the contributions of these paradigms. Much has been written about the Pigouvian case for regulative planning. The Coasian literature is strong especially in the US but is not so well known elsewhere; and little has been written that draws together the diverse perspectives offered by the public choice school. This essay has been written particularly for academic planners and urban social scientists in the UK, and in other European and Commonwealth countries who are not familiar with the technical arguments underlying the Coase vs Pigou zoning debate. It is also an essay on the public choice theory of planning since it contextualises Coasian planning theory within that wider critique of welfare economics. Among other points, it argues that the relevance of Coasian planning theory is not by any means restricted to US-style zoning, nor is it purely a debate about deregulation. Coasian and other public choice perspectives generate a rich source of theoretical and empirical propositions which should be tested and developed, particularly as frameworks for comparative analysis of planning constitutions and policies. In this spirit, the essay concludes with elements of a research agenda.

This book covers social inequalities in Chinese cities and provides comparative perspectives on inequality and social polarization, neoliberalization and the poor, the change of property rights, rural to urban migration and migrants' enclaves, deprivation and residential segregation, state social security and reemployment training programs

Marginalization in urban China is a consequence of the processes that constrain the disadvantaged from making a claim to citizenship. This book provides insights into marginalization in Chinese cities, and enriches social inequality research by creating comparative perspectives on property right changes, rural to urban migration, the role of the state and welfare restructuring. It covers a wide range of topics such as social inequality and the polarization debates, neoliberalism and the urban poor, urbanization, citizenship and property rights, residential segregation, and reemployment training. The contributors draw on their extensive experiences in urban inequality research to highlight that marginalization in urban China is related to constrained rights rather than deserted 'outcasts'. They base their analyses on up-to-date empirical materials from in-depth interviews, quantitative social surveys, and detailed population census data, which have not been disclosed on such a detailed geographical scale before.

"Urban poverty is an emerging problem. This book explores the household and neighbourhood factors that lead to both the generation and continuance of urban poverty in China. It is argued that the urban Chinese are not a homogenous social group, but combine laid-off workers and rural migrants, resulting in stark contrasts between migrant and workers' neighbourhoods and villages." "The expert authors examine the new urban poor in China and the dynamics of their poor neighbourhoods, highlighting both household experience and neighbourhood changes affecting the urban poor. Urban Poverty in China is based upon a comprehensive household survey in six Chinese cities and provides insights into microscopic and neighbourhood-level poverty dynamics. The comprehensive study explores the spatial implications such as concentration of poverty as well as the differentiation within poor neighbourhoods." "This informative book tells an insightful story about evolving urban poverty in Chinese cities that will be invaluable to researchers and postgraduate students within urban studies, geography, social policy and development studies as well as Chinese and Asian studies. It will also prove to be an invaluable read for researchers in urban and social development and international development agencies."--BOOK JACKET

Without patent protection, biomedical progress would be severely diminished. Conditions under the current patent regime are characterized by rapid advancement made possible by cooperative licensing, collaboration and partnerships between and among various entities, and the drive to bring successful products to market both in order to make profits and to further the cause of humanity. The financial advantages associated with patent-driven corporate participation are the lifeline of innovation. While granting limited periods of exclusivity under the patent system necessary to entice innovation is a calculated sacrifice, the enormous benefits of fully-disclosed pharmaceutical and genetic discoveries result in a handsome net benefit over the alternative of resource-limited research clouded by a shroud of secrecy as a substitute for patent protection. By examining characteristics of the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries and the critical role the patent regime plays in driving investment in these areas, a clearer picture of the necessity of strong intellectual property rights in the context of genetics will emerge.