Directors of Urban Change in Asia

Bringing together a group of international scholars, "Directors of Urban Change in Asia" examines the influence of significant individuals who are "directors" for urban change in an eclectic mix of Asian cities. These directors or change agents are actors who have an elaborate view on urban development and who are in a position to formulate and influence future developments. The 2 main questions addressed are: what do the directors of new urban developments envisage for the future and how do they manage to realize their ideas what do the directors of new urban developments The books discusses how, in the majority of cases, urban change has come about primarily as the result of visionary leaders - on national, regional and local levels. It also makes clear that the less successful cities have tended to lack such leaders.

Peter Nas is Associate Professor at the Department of Anthropology, Leiden University, The Netherlands.

Acknowledgements  Contributors  1. Introduction: Directors of Urban Change  2. Colombo  3. Guangzhou City: Ever-Changing Urban Planning  4. Hanoi: Between the Imperfect Past and the Conditional Future  5. Jakarta: Conflicting Directions  6. Kuala Lumpur and Singapore: High Hopes versus a Low Profile  7. Makassar: Set, Backstage and a Diva in an Indonesian Secondary City  8. Metro Manila: Designers or Directors of Urban Development?  9. Nanjing: Promoting the ICT Sector  10. Semarang: Was H.F. Tillema a Director of Urban Change?  11. Surabaya: The Bridge to Madura  12. Tehran: A Mega-City Built without a Vision  13. Tokyo: Paradise of Speculators and Builders  Index