Traces landscape planning and design from pre-history through Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Islamic and Medieval gardens to Italian, French, and English landscape approaches, culminating in the mid-19th century. Relates landscape design to societal, cultural, technological and belief systems of each period. Culminates in the contemporary history of the profession from Andrew Jackson Downing to the present day. The growth and development of the profession, professional education, the environmental movement, large scale regional land planning and significant landscape architectural projects of the past century and a half.