Book excerpt: Evaluation in the Planning Process examines the role of evaluation in the overall planning process and the implications of evaluation for the organization and management of studies. Emphasis is placed on the nature of evaluation and the functions it should fulfill in the urban and regional planning process, as well as the interrelationships that should exist between evaluation and other planning activities. This book consists of 12 chapters organized into three sections. The first section focuses on principles governing the use of evaluation in the planning process and includes a model of general urban and regional planning. Various methods that are available for evaluating planning proposals are considered, with emphasis on the social cost-benefit approach and the planning balance sheet method. The chapters that follow explore the role of measurement in plan evaluation and review seven planning studies to critically examine UK experience in the application of evaluation methods to urban and regional planning problems. This book concludes by presenting the principles and guidelines for the short-listing of options and assessing the influence of various practical circumstances on the planning process. Some final recommendations on the organization and structure of the planning process, and the nature and role of evaluation within it, are offered. This book is intended for specialists, planners, and those who are engaged in the task of aiding decisions on urban and regional planning problems. This text will appeal especially to those who are concerned with formulating planning processes and with the management of studies.