This volume is the first publication to draw upon the mass of information provided by the Historic Towns Atlases in order to explore comparative questions in medieval urban history. The volume addresses the wider question of comparative urban studies, the processes that determined the morphological formation of towns, and the symbolic meaning of large-scale town plans in their cultural context. "Created "in a spirit of reconciliation after the destruction of European towns during the Second World War," the International Commission for the History of Towns emerged in 1953 to study the rise and development of urban centers from the post-Roman period to more recent times. This volume begins to unite material from the over 500 national atlases currently produced. Although the title and introductory matter stress the role of seigneurial power, the essays take a more functional approach. Summing Up: Recommended." - L. C. Attreed, College of the Holy Cross, CHOICE "Overall, this monumental work captures the rewards and the challenges of comparative, coordinated, pan-European scholarship." - Mark Bailey, University of East Anglia "...one is full of admiration for the arduous editorial work invested in this book by Anngret Simms and Howard Clarke, and we can be inspired by some of the essays that depart from the rather traditional central theme, by Keith Lilley, Derek Keene, and Jürgen Paul for example, which explore the cultural background, the ideas behind medieval town planning, and the symbolism that can be detected in urban forms." - Christopher Dyer, University of Leicester, UK "This book is a welcome introduction to the richness of urban settlement across Europe and the role of effective historic mapping in managing the urban future." - Brian Ayers,University of East Anglia, UK