Planning

Abstract

The chapter seeks to explore the role urban planning can play in the decision-making process within large urban areas. In the first part, the concept of planning is explored through different theoretical perspectives, while in a second section how urban agglomerations and metropolitan areas are viewed in the planning literature are analyzed. In the last sections the paper describes how urban and regional planning has evolved faced with the development issues of large urban areas and some ways to give planning an appropriate role in shaping metropolitan development are suggested.