The book contains perspectives on the way new information technology might reorient the spatial organization of activity. The perspectives range from conceptual, high- lighting the role of research and development to case studies from Japan. Considerable debate is focused on the role of distance and the way in which new information technology might re-shape interaction and, eventually, the form and function of urban areas.

The purpose of this monograph is to clarify the effect of environmental change on the process of urbanization. The research attempts to uncover the similarities as well as the differences across countries of the charac teristics of environmental effects on cities and metropolitan areas during the process of industrial development. Over the past several decades, a notable behavioral shift has been observed in many developed countries. People appear to be switching from an almost exclusive concern for material (commodity) consumption to a broader set of concerns that includes interest in...