Book reviews / Habitat International 26 (2002) 129–138 131 them in the planning process. Planners in international agencies such as the UN, or financial institutions such as the World Bank or Asian Development Bank will find the book a source of valuable information to develop realistic plans. In the final words of the author, ‘‘international agencies, which have a considerable say in Karachi’s planning and whose support for unrealistic and expensive plans have caused the city much harm, will also help in the promotion of such a paradigm and for the creation of the required critical mass’’. Kenneth Fernandes School of Science and Planning, RMIT University, GPO Box 2476 V, Melbourne, VIC 3001 Australia E-mail address: kennora@alphalink.com.au PII: S 0 1 9 7 - 3 9 7 5 ( 0 0 ) 0 0 0 3 6 - 9 Urban projects manualFA guide to preparing upgrading and new development projects accessible to low income groups, Second revised edition F. Davidson and G. Payne (Eds.); University of Liverpool Press, Liverpool, DFID, 2000, 146pp+technical notes, appendices, sources of information and glossary This is a well produced thoroughly cross-referenced manual, written by the ‘‘development professionals’’ as a handbook or primer for workers involved in development work in the South. The manual gives practical, common sense information about how to go about planning, implementing and setting about evaluating development projects. The manual is extensively referenced, and whilst based on the ‘‘Ismailia’’ project in Egypt 18 years ago, the issues it discusses and deals with are relevant to much of the contemporary development planning work done elsewhere in the developing world. The hand drawn illustrations further endear the book to its intended audience, making its reading a more personalised experience. The book is divided into five key project areas or stages: feasibility studies, detailed studies, developing project options, detailed proposals, and finally project implementation. There is considerable subdivision of topics within these five key areas and as explained in the introduction, the topics further cross reference with relevant sections of the book elsewhere. Whilst focusing specifically on housing and related issues, the manual successfully pulls together the myriad of other infrastructure provision and delivery issues such as transport, recreation areas, and commercial areas which need to be considered when planning a new community settlement. The manual reads very much like a workbook or ‘primer’, with topics covered in clear concise language. Possibly it suffers from being particularly didactic in its communication method, although this is a key requirement of a successful manual. The technical notes further elucidate key issues discussed within the manual notes and how they apply to various parts of the planning 132 Book reviews / Habitat International 26 (2002) 129–138 process. The reviewer was drawn to the technical guidance note on gender sensitivity, noting that in the revised book’s illustrations there are no female planners to be viewedy The Appendix reads particularly well, presenting the reader with a case study summary of the original Ismailia project and also showing clearly how the manual’s advocated process worked successfully in the conception and planning of the new settlement. The final ‘‘Sources of Information’’ section provides an updated reading list on various issues dealt with in the manual, from the general such as housing, to the more specific, i.e. references to the Ismailia project. Furthermore its ‘contacts’ list of organisations involved in ‘‘housing and settlements’’ covers a number of these although missing out the CRATERRE group in France and ‘‘GATE’’ the German NGO, both of which have been involved in projects in Africa. Possibly within the appendix it would have been of interest to readers to be able to have read about the views of members of the community on their perceptions of the project, eighteen years on. Admittedly this is principally a manual, but within the appendix there was the chance to have done this. On a more practical note, as a manual, one hopes that there is a ring bound or perforated version of the text which would make it much easier to read in the field than the paper(and hard-) back versions. Having not read the first edition of this manual, the reviewer is at a slight disadvantage, being unable to pronounce how successful the second revised version is in comparison with the former. The authors have written a helpful preface to this edition however highlighting the key features they believe that have changed from the earlier edition. This manual proved a very informative read, and is likely to continue to be an indispensable aid to development professionals worldwide. This handbook should not be left to gather dust on ministry bookshelves. One hopes that it will become, if it is already not, a standard handbook for planning offices in much of the South. Furthermore it would be beneficial if future editions were to include evaluations of the handbook’s use in projects elsewhere in the developing world. Ola Uduku Department of Architecture, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK E-mail address: n.o.uduku@liverpool.ac.uk PII: S 0 1 9 7 - 3 9 7 5 ( 0 1 ) 0 0 0 1 6 - 9 Persistant polarisation post apartheid? Progress towards urban integration in Cape Town Ivan Turok (Discussion Paper UCAP 1); University of Glasgow, Urban Change and Policy Research Group, Department of Urban Studies, University of Glasgow, October 2000, 35pp, ISBN 1 871769744 This short research monograph gives an up-to-date analysis of the effect of urban planning policies in post-apartheid South Africa. Focusing specifically on Cape Town, the author provides