This integrated study of the emerging interdisciplinary field of environmental aesthetics takes the reader through a brief history of both aesthetics and taste, then discusses the psychology of human-environment relations, the influences of literary, artistic and legal activism on city, countryside and wilderness, and concludes with an analysis of the roles of public policy and of planning. Clearly written and illustrated, the book brings together the ideas, method and practices of a range of academic and professional disciplines. The book should be a useful introduction to those interested in how the experience of city (and country) life can and should be improved.