Terra Incognita: Vacant Land and Urban Strategies. By Ann O'M. Bowman and Michael A. Pagano. Washington, DC: Georgetown University Press, 2004. 232 pages. $24.95.

Public policies for vacant land are among the least understood but most important aspects of urban policy and politics. In this book, Ann O'M. Bowman and Michael Pagano highlight important issues regarding such land and offer useful frameworks for understanding the policies and politics that shape its future uses. In doing so, they provide a unique and useful perspective on land use policies and politics, which are a key—if not the key—aspect of local policy and politics.