<P><i>Site Matters</i> is the first comprehensive theoretical treatment of a crucial concept in urban design, planning, and architecture -- "site." The way that planners and designers have dealt with the term over the years has changed dramatically, yet little has been written on it. Initially, it simply referred the actual physical area in which a building was erected or a delimited space planned. Over the past century, though, it has gradually become a much more complicated concept, referring on occasion to the immediate surroundings of a parcel and on other occasions as part of a broader geographical complex in which different sectors interact with each other. And most recently, the site has come to be understood as a component of broader ecosystems, where the site and the broader system work upon each other. Bringing together some of the leading lights in the design and planning field, Site Matters will be essential for today's planners, designers, and architects, all of whom must wrestle with this concept.</P>