A Relationship of Ideas.

Peter Hall had no fear of grand ideas, as his second book, London 2000, clearly demonstrated. Indeed, one of the notable attributes of many of his books was the sheer scale and breadth of subject matter; he had evidently taken Daniel Burnham's pragmatic exhortation to 'make no little plans' to heart. London 2000; The Containment of Urban England; Cities of Tomorrow; Cities in Civilization- Sociable Cities; Good Cities, Better Lives; and The Polycentric Metropolis all explore the development of cities within a much broader context of time, space and history, rather than as self-contained entities. In this essay, I describe how Peter's focus on planning at the largest scales has influenced my work, from my PhD dissertation nearly two decades ago, through various research projects with Peter, via my involvement in the TCP A to my current work on settlement patterns in Britain. Through it all, a simple fact reveals itself. Unlike a great many other academics, perhaps the majority, much of Peter Hall's oeuvre has an eloquent timelessness about it. It is often beautifully wrought, intricate and useful, like a fine Swiss watch, built to last. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]