Preface .
1 The Cost of Making Land Use Decisions .
Introduction.
Beyond the 'market versus the government' debates.
The study of transaction costs in planning and property research.
The relevance for planning practice.
The structure of this book.
References.
2 Institutions and Transaction Costs .
Economic approaches to institutionalism.
Institutions and transaction costs in the (early) new institutional economics.
Governance structures and property rights: building upon and refining Coase's work.
How do transaction costs emerge? Transaction dimensions and economic behaviour.
Relationship between transaction costs and institutions.
References.
3 Operationalising Institutions and Transaction Costs .
User rights regimes as particular governance structures.
A transaction-cost analysis of the development process: a methodology.
The empirical research.
References.
4 Nijmegen: The Quest for Control in Corporatist Tradition .
Dutch planning and property law.
The Marialaan project: small but complex.
Transaction-costs analysis of the Marialaan.
References.
5 Bristol: Planning In Uncertainty .
English planning and property law.
Wapping Wharf.
Transaction-cost analysis of Wapping Wharf.
References.
6 Houston: Planning in the City That Does Not Plan? .
Planning in the US: social conflict over property rights.
Houston: no zoning, but not unregulated.
Houston city planning in practice: Montebello.
Transaction-cost analysis of Montebello.
References.
7 Comparing and Explaining Transaction Costs: Learning from the Cases .
The user rights regimes compared.
Transaction costs entangled in structures.
References.
8 Transaction Costs and the Institutional Context .
The quest for control over development.
Relationship between public and private sector.
Attitudes towards transaction costs.
Legal styles: Flexibility, certainty and accountability.
References.
9 Planning at What Cost? Conclusions and Discussion .
Applying transaction cost theory to planning and development.
Transaction costs as dead weight losses or means with a purpose?.
References.
Appendix A: Interviewees .
Appendix B: People Working in Planning .
Index