land use and living space

Few people have any coherent idea of whether the shifts taking place in land-use structure are critically important for us all, or whether they are largely immaterial. This book (originally published in 1981) by setting down a more quantified and carefully researched statement and appraisal of land-use structure and change than had previously been attempted, shows that much of the conventional wisdom about land use can be shown to be incorrect or very suspect. Land-use planning has often been built on the insecure foundation of myth rather than reality, the author maintains. Land Use and Living Space shows that much of the perceived land problem in Britain is not substantiated by evidence on the ground and concludes that there is no real ’problem’ at all. This analysis was a welcome contribution to the debate during the 1970 and 80s about the true state of land use in Britain, Europe and the USA.

Robin H. Best was Head of the Department of Environmental Studies and Countryside Planning, Wye College, University of London.