Routledge Planning in the Face of Crisis: Land Use, Housing, and Mass Immigration in Israel (Cities and Regions: Planning, Policy and Management (Hardcover))

Critics of urban and regional planning argue that it is best suited to manage incremental change. Can a planner's skills and expertise be effective in handling a major crisis and large-scale change? The mass immigration from the former Soviet Union to Israel in the 1990s offers the opportunity to study one of the largest-scale (non-disaster) crisis situations in a democratic, advanced-economy country. This book recounts the fascinating saga of how policymakers and planners at both the national and local levels responded to the formidable demand for housing and massive urban growth. Planners forged new housing and land-use policies, and applied a streamlined (but controversial) planning law. The outputs were impressive. The outcomes and impacts changed the landscape and human-scape of Israel, heightening dilemmas of land use and urban policy in this high-density country. Review 'Alterman illustrates that there really is not anything quite as practical as a good theory. Profeesor Alterman displays considerable knowledge of European and North American Planning. Planning in the Face of Crisis makes a significant contribution to the theory of planning. Much can be gleaned that should be helpful to other situations.'  Frederick Steiner, Journal of Planning Education and Research 'Taken as a whole, this is a very readable and well-illustrated book that provides much food for thought about the ways in which we deal with unexpected events.' - Duncan Sim, Planning Perspectives About the Author Rachelle Alterman is Professor and Head of the Graduate Programme in Urban and Regional Planning in the Faculty of Architecture and Town Planning at the Israel Institute of Technology, Technion, Haifa, Israel. She is also holder of the David Azrieli Chair.