Interest in the geography of economic and social change has grown in Britain over recent years as people have become more aware of regional imbalances and as government influence on the evolution of the country's spatial systems has increased. The processes of spatial allocation are becoming better understood as new techniques of analysis are developed. But weaknesses and inconsistencies in public policies remain and have attracted the attention of workers in various disciplines, particularly geographers. This awareness is reflected in these essays, most of which deal with economic rather than the social problems. They demonstrate the wide range of issues on which geographers can make a relevant contribution.