Excerpt from the report Preface: Rural and urban planning for the best use of natural resources is increasingly important in this country. Airphotos are a valuable tool for planners; they can be used in many ways, such as in preparing land-use maps, measuring the size of a lake or a field, selecting a school site, inventorying recreation facilities, and determining change in rate of land use. Using airphotos can save time and money and improve accuracy of studies on which plans are based. This handbook describes how airphotos are made, and how two disciplines based on airphoto use--photogrammetry and photo interpretation--aid in preparing plans for rural and urban development.