The author combines the unique multidisciplinary backgrounds of an academic, a political scientist, a lawyer and an urban planner to provide the reader with a novel and challenging discussion about the economic nature of land use zoning. Besides establishing a coherent framework for zoning based on the Coasian property rights paradigm, the book offers the reader several up-to-date case studies, including the government role in assigning exclusive property rights via marine fish culture zoning in Hong Kong. The observations provided in the case studies make a valuable contribution to the reader's knowledge of both the effects of zoning systems and the value of the property rights framework for analysis. They also have important implications for future town planning exercises. Lawrence Lai has been a Lecturer in economics in the Department of Surveying at the University of Hong Kong since 1989. His research interests are property rights analyses in respect of politics, urban planning and environment. This book will be of value to students working in a wide range of subjects, including the building environment and economics, as well as property professionals and environmental planners.