WESTERN-EUROPE, CURRENT CITY EXPANSION AND THE USE OF GIS

Garreau's concept of an ''edge city'' is discussed with regard to Lond on and northwest Europe. It is argued that the employment of geographi cal information systems (GIS) will enable new forms of planning which have a degree of flexibility and responsiveness not found in tradition al planning systems. Electronic networks can help to democratise a pla nning system and to generate plans which transcend the administrative boundaries of older cities. Greater integration between physical plann ing and the free market may also be possible. The argument is illustra ted with reference to practice in the Paris region, the Netherlands, B elgium and the South England Edge City (SEEC). (C) 1997 Elsevier Scien ce B.V. ALI rights reserved.