Planning Support Methods describes and applies the most important and widely used urban and regional analysis and projection methods. It updates and extends Richard Klosterman’s widely used Community Analysis and Planning Techniques (Rowman and Littlefield 1990) by providing the latest information on the population and employment analysis and projection methods covered in the earlier text. Recognizing the increased importance of geographic information systems (GIS), it also reviews spatial analysis concepts and describes land suitability analysis methods. The book describes the methods’ underlying assumptions, advantages, and limitations and provides guidelines for using the methods, a glossary and an extensive list of references.

Unlike other methods texts, Planning Support Methods applies the methods to an American city and county, demonstrating concretely how quantitative methods can be used to support community-based planning. It also describes free, online data sources for applying the methods in the book. The text can be used in graduate and undergraduate methods courses and by planning practitioners and others interested in using planning methods.