Preface -- Global urban growth -- Urban growth pressures and sprawl in America -- Background to the current crisis : land resources and public policy in America historic evolution of urban land use in America -- The contemporary phenomenon of urban sprawl : costs and consequences -- Making better use of the land : the debate over controlling urban sprawl -- Containing sprawl through local zoning -- State-wide prescriptions for sprawl -- Preserving rural lands from urban sprawl -- Fighting sprawl by reclaiming central cities -- Improving life in the suburbs -- Recent trends in the debate over sprawl -- The smart growth movement -- The property rights challenge -- Federal smart growth initiatives -- New trends in urban growth -- References -- Urban growth around the world -- Urban growth in the developed world -- Western Europe -- Eastern Europe and Russia -- Future directions for Europe and Russia -- Japan and East Asia -- Canada -- Urban growth in the developing world -- Urbanization in historical perspective -- Cities of the developing world today -- Life in the slums -- Growth and evolution of slums -- Latin America -- Sub-Saharan Africa -- Middle East -- South Asia -- Southeast Asia -- China -- Future directions in the developing world -- What can be done about slums? -- Turning to the international community -- Private sector solutions to slums -- References -- Chronology -- Biographical sketches.