Original and insightful, this volume, giving in-depth consideration to the key issues affecting the future of market towns, provides readers with a framework for evaluating policy initiatives and progress in market towns.Through a detailed analysis of the characteristics of over 200 towns and in-depth studies of eleven towns in different parts of England, the authors identify and explore a number of key roles for market towns. Such as: retirement towns commuter towns employment centres service centres tourist towns. Setting the results in the context of past and current policy, they consider in more detail some of the critical issues, including increased personal mobility, aging populations, housing growth and affordability, employment and retail competitiveness. Drawing on this detailed case study material, a final section explores the future role of market towns as sustainable communities and how they might best assure their futures.Addressing issues which have not yet been covered in contemporary planning literature, this comprehensive volume provides a wide-ranging discussion that will appeal to those involved at all levels of practice related to market towns as well as to academics and students working in both rural and urban geography and planning.