This concise survey explores the interaction of the social and physical environment of cities. Helen Meller shows that while all modern societies have been subject to the economic, social and technological forces that have produced mass urbanization, not all towns and cities are the same. The author addresses the question of how people in Britain have sought to improve the quality of life in cities, and points out how projects to regenerate the urban environment have drawn on local history, traditions and culture to produce unique results.