First published in 1985. Much has been written from the diverse perspectives of the economist, the sociologist, the designer and planner, and others about the pros and cons of different patterns of housing and settlement for our population. This volume was generated from when in the spring of 1980 a study group was formed, sponsored by the Society for Research in Child Development, with support from the Foundation for Child Development, to examine a particular aspect of this topic, namely the ways in which and the extent to which different density levels in our residential environment affect the development of children.