Find out how to plan a great future for your community

Urban planning is vital to the future success of cities, towns, and suburbs across the globe. Urban plans help communities take stock of what's good and bad about the community in the present and determine the best improvements to make for the future. With the majority of the world's population shifting to urban areas, it has become an increasingly vital profession. Whether you're thinking about a career in urban planning or looking for a way to get more involved in your community, Urban Planning For Dummies will give you a practical overview of this fascinating field, including determining the best uses for land, planning for transportation and economic development, and discovering how urban plans are made and carried out.

• Understand the building blocks of urban planning ? explore all the different elements that contribute to the community's quality of life and a more sustainable local environment

• Explore the relationship between urban planning and the built environment ? see how good urban design can make healthier, more attractive communities

• Examine the components of a comprehensive urban plan ? learn the roles that land use, housing, transportation, natural resources, infrastructure, open space, and public services play in shaping a community

• Grasp the challenges that urban planners face ? find out how pollution, rapid population growth, economic distress, and recovery from natural disasters affect the quality of life in cities and towns

• Be more involved ? discover how a better understanding of urban planning can help you create more successful communities where you live

Open the book and find:

• How to create a sustainable community

• What resources are needed to make a good plan

• How to find useful information about your community

• The challenges facing today's cities, suburbs, and towns

• The role of urban planning in developing countries

• How to get hands-on experience

• Ways to improve and enhance your community

• Real-world examples

Learn to:

• Understand how cities and towns grow and change

• Plan for housing, transportation, and land use

• Explore how urban plans get made

• Design greener cities and sustainable communities