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

By applying transaction cost economics to an evaluation of land use systems, the author here tackles the ongoing debate between market and government in planning. The book provides a fresh angle and a useful contribution to a growing field of study for researchers in urban planning, public administration and land economics. The Cost of Land Use Decisions......Page 1 Contents......Page 7 Preface......Page 9 Introduction......Page 11 Beyond the 'market versus the government' debates......Page 13 The study of transaction costs in planning and property research......Page 16 The structure of this book......Page 19 References......Page 20 Economic approaches to institutionalism......Page 25 Institutions and transaction costs in the (early) new institutional economics......Page 29 Governance structures and property rights: building upon and refining Coase's work......Page 34 How do transaction costs emerge? Transaction dimensions and economic behaviour......Page 40 Relationship between transaction costs and institutions......Page 44 References......Page 48 3 Operationalising Institutions and Transaction Costs......Page 53 User rights regimes as particular governance structures......Page 55 A transaction-cost analysis of the development process: a methodology......Page 58 The empirical research......Page 64 References......Page 67 Dutch planning and property law......Page 71 The Marialaan case: small but complex......Page 77 Transaction-cost analysis of the Marialaan......Page 82 References......Page 89 English planning and property law......Page 91 Wapping Wharf......Page 99 Transaction-cost analysis of Wapping Wharf......Page 108 References......Page 114 Planning in the US: social conflict over property rights......Page 117 Houston: no zoning, but not unregulated......Page 120 Houston city planning in practice: Montebello......Page 127 Transaction-cost analysis of Montebello......Page 135 References......Page 138 The user rights regimes compared......Page 141 Transaction costs enrangled in structures......Page 150 References......Page 154 The quest for control over development......Page 155 Relationship between public and private sector......Page 160 Attitudes towards transaction costs......Page 162 Legal styles: flexibility, certainty and accountability......Page 175 References......Page 177 9 Planning at What Cost? Conclusions and Discussion......Page 181 Applying transaction cost theory to planning and development......Page 183 Transaction costs as dead weight losses or means with a purpose?......Page 187 References......Page 191 Appendix A: Interviewees......Page 193 Appendix B: People Working in Planning......Page 195 Index......Page 201 The Cost of Land Use Decisions 1 Contents 7 Preface 9 1 The Cost of Making Land Use Decisions 11 Introduction 11 Beyond the 'market versus the government' debates 13 The study of transaction costs in planning and property research 16 The relevance for planning practice 19 The structure of this book 19 References 20 2 Institutions and Transaction Costs 25 Economic approaches to institutionalism 25 Institutions and transaction costs in the (early) new institutional economics 29 Governance structures and property rights: building upon and refining Coase's work 34 How do transaction costs emerge? Transaction dimensions and economic behaviour 40 Relationship between transaction costs and institutions 44 References 48 3 Operationalising Institutions and Transaction Costs 53 User rights regimes as particular governance structures 55 A transaction-cost analysis of the development process: a methodology 58 The empirical research 64 References 67 4 Nijmegen: The Quest for Control in a Corporatist Tradition 71 Dutch planning and property law 71 The Marialaan case: small but complex 77 Transaction-cost analysis of the Marialaan 82 References 89 5 Bristol: Planning in Uncertainty 91 English planning and property law 91 Wapping Wharf 99 Transaction-cost analysis of Wapping Wharf 108 References 114 6 Houston: Planning in the City That Does Not Plan? 117 Planning in the US: social conflict over property rights 117 Houston: no zoning, but not unregulated 120 Houston city planning in practice: Montebello 127 Transaction-cost analysis of Montebello 135 References 138 7 Comparing and Explaining Transaction Costs: Learning from the Cases 141 The user rights regimes compared 141 Transaction costs enrangled in structures 150 References 154 8 Transaction Costs and the Institutional Context 155 The quest for control over development 155 Relationship between public and private sector 160 Attitudes towards transaction costs 162 Legal styles: flexibility, certainty and accountability 175 References 177 9 Planning at What Cost? Conclusions and Discussion 181 Applying transaction cost theory to planning and development 183 Transaction costs as dead weight losses or means with a purpose? 187 References 191 Appendix A: Interviewees 193 Appendix B: People Working in Planning 195 Index 201

This important new book tackles the ongoing debate between market and government in planning. By applying transaction cost economics to an evaluation of land use systems, the author provides 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. The author offers evidence from three systematic empirical studies with detailed analyses 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.

"This new book tackles the ongoing debate between market and government in planning. By applying transaction cost economics to an evaluation of land use systems, the author provides a fresh angle and a useful contribution to a growing field of study for researchers in urban planning, public administration and land economics."--Jacket