Originally published in 1958, as a third edition in 1967, and revised fourth edition in 1974, this established text discusses the challenges of physical and regional geography to planners and studies the relationship between geography, economics and change in both urban and rural settings. It reflects the increasing concern in the late 20th Century with the environment and quality of life. The author argues strongly that there must be three related orders of planning: national, regional and local, because the building of a better Britain depends on work done in detail at street and field level, with the geographical basis of planning being clear in such work. At a time when the UK government is considering an overhaul of the planning system in order to meet house-building targets and climate change is having a real impact on land use, many of the issues raised in this book are as relevant now as they were when it was first published.