This work by over 25 authors, gives an insight into the successes and failures of town and country planning over the last 50 years. Written largely by professional planners, this illustrated book should be of interest to everyone with an interest in planning and development. The book tackles the subject decade by decade. For each decade there is an introductory overview of prevailing conditions at the time, followed by a number of the most important examples to indicate the development of planning expertise in each period. The examples are drawn from experience in the West Midlands, a varied region with the metropolitan area of Birmingham and "The Black Country" at its heart surrounded by countryside stretching from the Cotswolds to the Peak District and the Welsh Borders. The concluding section of the book takes a glimpse beyond the year 2000 and gives an indication of the directions for planning in the early years of the next century. The publication celebrates the Golden Jubilee of the West Midlands Branch of the Royal Town Planning Institute.