What was life like in the towns and cities of medieval Europe? How did people live? Why did some towns grow into major urban centers while others did not? Drawing on original research, as well as the work of medieval historians, urban archaeologists, and historical geographers, this book takes a fresh and challenging approach to address these important but difficult questions, and argues that while people in the Middle Ages shaped the towns and cities that they lived in, Europe's towns and cities also 'shaped' them.