Updated in its 10th edition, Contemporary Urban Planning provides readers with in-depth coverage of the historic, economic, political, legal, and environmental factors affecting urban planning as well as specific chapters on the various fields of planning. With updated coverage of the Obama administration's response to the present economic downturn, the text addresses the most pressing issues in urban development today - including the subprime mortgage crisis and home foreclosures, federal funding for public transportation, and new standards for "green" buildings. The book also includes new material on the rapidly growing field of planning for natural catastrophes.