Three Ways to Build

Abstract

We contrast three societies in terms of the way property development is socially organized by real estate entrepreneurs, political parties, governments, and corporations. Whereas local growth coalitions dominate in the United States, this is less true of Japan and Italy. National government, linked to conglomerate firms, plays a significant role in Japanese development. In Italy, the national political party system (as opposed to government) is prominent in setting the conditions of local development. Although large corporations are a critical force in all three societies, the manner in which they impact locality differs substantially with divergent consequences for urban morphology and citizens' daily lives.