This paper will argue that the study of morphological processes has lagged behind the identification and classification of morphological patterns. Examples from Newcastle upon Tyne will be used to illustrate this argument, ranging from mediaeval burgage plots, through a typology of nineteenth-century working-class terraced housing that emerged in the west end of the city, and more recent twentieth-century social housing. It is concluded that a deeper understanding of urban forms is dependent on a stronger focus on the processes operating at a variety of scales.