THIS BOOK IS part of a series on international land management, which addresses land management in an international context and highlights the multi-disciplinary nature of this complex issue. With this particular book, the author aims to explore “…the genesis and development of urban management in Zambia, and the extent to which local authorities have been able to control and manage development through the provision of services, land and housing.”

The first and more theoretical part deals with the global theoretical debate on urban management. The author clearly reveals the risks and limitations of the urban management concept, particularly for developing countries, and proposes a structural conflict model of urban management, a process both technical and political, anchored in the self-interest of different parties. The first part concludes with a review of the literature on developmental urbanization and colonial urbanization.

The second part of the book is dedicated to a case study of Nkana-Kitwe, the leading mining town in Zambia’s copper belt. The author introduces this section by exploring the development of urban policy and urban management in the historical context of Zambia, including a review of urban land and housing policies under different regimes. The case study is then used to reinforce the theoretical positions developed in the first part. The author examines the power relations between the different stakeholders, particularly the mining company, the territorial government and other businesses, their often conflicting interests, and the effects this has had on issues of land, housing and services. The final chapter draws together the two parts of the book, linking theory with empirical evidence, and concludes with the proposition of some general principles for urban management and, more specifically, a coherent explanatory theory for urban management in Zambia.