Land is an important finite commodity in the modern world. In the past wars have been fought over it and land shortage has been the cause of many famines. In modern times debates rage over just how land should be controlled by government and over whether land should be publicly or privately owned. This book, which was first published in 1984, surveys the major problems and debates connected with land use in the modern developed world. The opening chapters examine the main components of the problem and describe the development of the debate about land from Malthus onwards. The book then analyses land policy in a number of different countries, including the United Kingdom, the United States, Japan, and Eastern Europe. This book is ideal for students of geography and economics.