By understanding the pattern-process of landscape development we can obtain a richer awareness of landscape and our place in it. The book explores the nature of patterns and ways of classifying them before studying the nature of perception (primarily visual but also other senses), then proceeds to relate this perception to aesthetics and from there to the design process. From this point the main driving processes in landscape are introduced together with the resulting patterns, these being landform patterns, ecosystem patterns and human patterns. It takes material from a wide range of neighbouring disciplines which a landscape planner or designer needs to be aware of but which are often taught as distinct elements, and binds them together, enabling the landscape to be "read" and this reading to be used as the basis for design

This second edition updates and refreshes the original material with added sections and new photos, particularly making use of the developments in aerial photography. Featuring full colour throughout, this textbook is ideal for those studying disciplines which intersect with the landscape, and those which affect it.