| Abstract: | By developing measurement scales the city planner can promote his long-run interest in integrating urban knowledge and his short-run interest in making valid analyses of specific problems. But the construction of measurement scales is not a random process and must be conducted according to logical rules. Inadequacies in current city planning scales are largely attributable to the lack of adherence to these rules. Housing quality scales, the most common measurement device in city planning, reveal some of the difficulties that lead to deficiencies in our measurement. The outlook is far from gloomy. Experience from other fields in index number construction, the use of scalograms, and factor analysis can Open up many promising avenues for city planning measurement. |
