Lewis T. Waters from Maryland, USA, studied and researched at Edinburgh University in the 1960s. He was awarded the degree of Ph.D (Edinburgh) in 1970 for his thesis entitled Urban form systems in physical planning: a case study of Cumbernauld. During the course of his research, and with relevance to a portion of his thesis, he found some correspondence between Sir Patrick Geddes (1854-1932) and Sir Raymond Unwin (1863-1940) particularly interesting. The material had been passed to him by Arthur Geddes, the younger son of Sir Patrick Geddes.

Patrick Geddes was born in Ballater, Aberdeenshire on 2 October 1854. He was educated at Perth Academy and then studied at the Royal College of Mines in London, 1874-1878. He lectured in Zoology at Edinburgh University, 1880-1888. He held the Chair of Botany at University College, Dundee, from 1888 to 1919, and the Chair of Sociology at the University of Bombay from 1919 to 1924. Geddes was actively occupied in city improvement, town planning, and educational initiatives at home, on the continent, and in India. He drew up a city plan for both Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, and he developed the Cite Universitaire Mediterraneanne (College des Ecossais) at Montpellier, France, and the educational facility at the Outlook Tower, Edinburgh.

Geddes was knighted in 1932. His publications included: Evolution of sex, with Sir J. Arthur Thomson; Cities in evolution; and The life and work of Sir Jagadis C. Bose. Sir Patrick Geddes died in France, at Montpellier, on 17 April 1932. Geddes was an influence on several British urban planners, notably Raymond Unwin.

Raymond Unwin was born on 2 November 1863. He was the younger son of William Unwin of Balliol College, Oxford. He was educated at Magdalen College School, Oxford, and then he trained in engineering and architecture, and practised as an architect from 1896. He laid out schemes such as: New Earswick, York; Letchworth; and, Hampstead Garden Suburb. From 1911 to 1914 he was a special Lecturer in Town Planning at Birmingham University. In 1914 he became Chief Town Planning Inspector, Local Government Board, and during the War he was Director of the Housing Branch, Ministry of Munitions. After the War, he was Chief Architect, Housing, at the Ministry of Health, and he served on several Departmental Committees dealing with housing and town planning matters. He was Chief Advisor to Greater London Regional Town Planning Committee, 1929-1933.

Unwin was knighted in 1932. His publications included: The art of building a home, with Barry Parker; Town planning in practice; and Nothing gained by overcrowding. Sir Raymond Unwin died in June 1940.