An overview of the social and planning concepts which serve as a foundation for the location, programming, and operation of various types of community centers and student unions is offered in this book. Pointing up the vital role of these institutions in meeting current community needs, it takes a look at community centers and student unions from a social, community, and architectural point of view. Both text and illustrations provide in-depth analyses of selected examples of community centers, recreation centers, centers for the elderly, and school-community centers in the United States and in other countries. New planning concepts and how they may be implemented in future building programs are explored; current social trends in both the college and urban community are evaluated; and the pros and cons of community center planning which separates elements of society are weighed, together with institutional plans which aim to transcend these differences. Numerous photographs of buildings and their interiors, accompanied by floor plans and architectural drawings, enhance the textual material. (BL)