Mental Maps

What are our mental images of other places? Are they removed from economic reality? The images people hold of their national space change more slowly than economic reality. An understanding of ‘invisible landscapes’ – our mental pictures and models of the world – is crucial to an understanding of the way we perceive space and place. Examining a series of studies of people’s ‘space preferences’, Mental Maps discusses how far people’s invisible landscapes map the characteristics and challenges of the real world and affect special behaviour. The author’s argue that only through an increased awareness of both image and reality can human responses be found to the challenges we face.