Planning Ideas that Matter, an MIT Press book edited by Christina Rosan, assistant professor of geography and urban studies, has recently been released.

Planning Ideas That Matter charts the trajectories of livability, territoriality, governance and reflective professional practice in an increasingly interconnected world. The book's contributors, leading theorists and practitioners, discuss livability in terms of such issues as urban density, land use and the relationship between the built environment and natural systems; examine levels of territorial organization, drawing on literature on regionalism, metropolitanism and territorial competition; describe the ways planning connects to policy making and implementation in a variety of political contexts; and consider how planners conceive of their work and learn from practice.

Throughout, the emphasis is on how individuals and institutions--including government, business, professional organizations and universities--have framed planning problems and ideas. The focus is less on techniques and programs than on the underlying concepts that have animated professional discourse over the years.