The Routledge Handbook of Comparative Planning Law brings together the most up-to-date research on the regulation of land use and development from across the globe. The book offers a theoretical and critical perspective to understand the history and roles of planning laws through 20 different country reports. These contributions are written by top planning law scholars from around the world. Taking a bold step, the book encompasses countries located in different parts of the world, different legal-families, different developmental levels, varying densities and geographies, and differing cultures. The purpose of the breadth is to demonstrate that planning laws come in many shapes and colors, and can work or fumble in many contexts.

The book looks not only at the broad-brush institutional structure, but also at specifics such as types of plans and legal issues that surround them, discretion for interim decisions and flexibility, instruments of land subdivision, development controls (building permits), environmental-impact controls, financial implications of planning controls, enforcement in law and practice, the time factor in procedures, public hearings and appeals, and the roles of the courts. Such complex analysis cannot be undertaken without a firm conceptual framework on which to "hang" the systematic survey and analysis of each of the country reports. A robust framework enables a systematic comparison and evaluation across countries. In this way, readers will be able to understand not only a particular country's planning law as a whole, but also to consider potential transferability of specific instruments to their own national context. The Handbook is an invaluable resource to aide scholars, professionals and students in engaging with the complexities of planning law.