"Rural depopulation, protection of natural resources, suburbanization, affordable housing, mass transportation, loss of fertile lands -- these are modern problems, yet they are not new. Thomas Adams grappled with these same concerns nearly a century ago, when he wrote Rural Planning and Development, a comprehensive overview of planning issues at the time of the First World War. Rediscovering Thomas Adams reintroduces a new generation to a book that quickly became a touchstone for planners and planning in Canada. Updated with commentaries by Canada's leading planners who hold up Adams' text as a mirror to reflect upon contemporary planning issues, this richly illustrated book highlights Adams' influence on the planning profession and the continued significance of his comprehensive, pragmatic vision for building better rural and urban communities. Chapter by chapter, from production and systems of surveying to government policies and legislation, the contributors not only place Adams' text and Canadian planning in historical context, they also put forward a new vision of what planning and development can be. First published in 1917, Rural Planning and Development continues to resonate as a broad vision for planning, one that moves beyond the demands of the moment to offer a long-term vision for a better future"--Publisher's website.