Choice Review

Ottensmann presents one of the handiest urban planning books to come along in a long time by taking nine of the most frequently used tasks in urban planning and writing BASIC language programs for microcomputer use. Each program is preceded by a discussion complete with citations to the relevant methodological literature. Although the discussions are adequate for those familiar with general planning models, others may wish to use standard reference sources to supplement this volume. The programs are written in minimal BASIC and should run on most microcomputers. The ones tested by this reviewer worked flawlessly and without modification on an IBM-PC. The programs are models of clarity: their structures are clearly documented and subroutines are consistently and logically developed. Individuals without programming skills will be able to make them run almost immediately. Skilled users will probably want to customize them, a task made relatively easy given their ample documentation. The programs allow trend projection, population cohort-survival, shift and share, input-output, gravity models, and facility location models. Three of the programs even come with a simple graphics option. Ottensmann's book places many tasks once relegated to mainframe computers into the hands of planners, geographers, social scientists, students, and others who have access to a desktop computer. Highly recommended for undergraduate and graduate collections.-P.J. Pizor, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick Campus