I first learned of Jay Appleton (1919-1915), while getting a Geography degree at Florida State.  His ideas on Prospect and Refuge were fresh and  new idea back then

I was enamored by the power and simplicity of  Prospect and Refuge.  

Years later, when I was designing a hidden garden, this idea encourage me. When I thought back on my favorite places, then, they all made sense.  When I hated the look of a house, a location, this gave me a vocabulary to explaine it. 

I’ve gone on to collect a few of his books, and just called him one of my quiet heroes. 

As I studied Christopher Alexander , I saw they both aimed at the same viewpoint only getting there with a different perspective.  Christopher was so quantitative, precise, 

 Tom Turner nicely describes the link between the two men, both of the same era, but on parallel paths to the same goal….to explain WHY certain places have an affinity to Human Nature, and some repel Human.  I wonder if they knew each other, or heard of each other?  Both were British, about the same age

The central argument of the Pattern Language is that, in the face of complexity, humans have evolved archetypal designs, which solve recurrent problems. These solutions are called patterns. In primitive societies, birds and humans had ways of using mud and grass to make dwellings. They remained constant from generation to generation. In modern societies, a greater range of patterns is available. Yet, the Pattern Language argues, there are still ways of doing things that, over an endless period of time, have satisfied complex human requirements. An ancient example is finding a choice location for an outdoor seat. Neglect of this pattern has led to a modern tragedy. Most outdoor seats in most towns are woefully sited: their locations are unprotected, isolated, noisy, windy, claustrophobic, too hot or too cold. The ancient pattern was to place a seat near a tree, with its back to a wall, in a sunny position with a good view (Figure 3.4). The archetype for this solution balances prospect with refuge. Jay Appleton, in The Experience of Landscape, sees this as a fundamental human need: it satisfies human desires for safety, comfort and a good vantage point ( Appleton, 1975). To avoid blunders, planners and designers must have this information.