World Planning Congress
Founded in 1965, the International Society of City and Regional Planners (ISOCARP) has grown to become a global network of city and regional planners, creating and sharing knowledge for better cities, promoting education and planning practice, and supporting city and regional planners in all places and all fields of activity – professional practice, administration, policy making, teaching and research.
One of the main activities of ISOCARP is the organisation of our annual World Planning Congress which focuses on a planning theme of foremost international interest. Attended by some 350-500 delegates, ISOCARP Congresses are small enough for personal interchange of ideas on a given theme, yet big enough to encompass a broad professional and international range. The Congresses are open to ISOCARP Members (reduced congress fees), but our Society warmly welcomes non-members (individuals, parties or organisations). The Congress provides a platform for establishing professional as well as personal contacts with colleagues from all around the world.
The Congress takes place in a different city every year. The Congress has addressed vital topics in the field of city and regional planning, every year since 1965. Combining a unique, triple perspective in theory, policy and practice, ISOCARP has pioneered the focus of the planning profession on issues such as regional urban planning (1966), urban regeneration (1981), planning for land and water (1998), the creative economy (2005) and low carbon cities (2009).
Expressions of Interest
ISOCARP welcomes Expressions of Interest from universities, planning agencies, city governments, institutions and consortiums in hosting a future ISOCARP World Planning Congress in their city.
Organisations with an interest in hosting the World Planning Congress in 2021 and beyond are invited to send an Expression of Interest. Please get in touch with ISOCARP Secretariat for further information and communication on this matter.
Below are links to documents from past ISOCARP Congresses (2001-2019), and the titles of the ISOCARP Congresses since 1965.
Since 2001, the selected Papers (Case Studies and Theoretical Papers) are displayed on the ISOCARP Paper Platform. Have a look and browse through the knowledge of ISOCARP. Papers of former years are also available as publications, which can be ordered in the webshop. Also available for download is a survey of all themes, workshop topics, and congress team members of all ISOCARP Congresses between 1965 and 2019.
World Planning Congress since 2001
2019 – Beyond the Metropolis
55th ISOCARP Congress
Jakarta-Bogor, Indonesia, 9-13 September 2019
2018 – Cool Planning: Changing Climate and Our Urban Future
54th ISOCARP Congress
Bodø, Norway, 1-5 October 2018
2017 – Smart Communities
53rd ISOCARP Congress; Joint Conference ISOCARP-OAPA
Portland, Oregon, USA, 24-27 October 2017
2016 – Cities we Have vs Cities we Need
52nd ISOCARP Congress
Durban, South Africa, 12-16 September 2016
2015 – Cities Save the World: Let’s Reinvent Planning
51st ISOCARP Congress
Rotterdam, Netherlands, 19-23 October 2015
2014 – Urban Transformations – Cities and Water
50th ISOCARP Congress
Gdynia, Poland, 23-26 September 2014
2013 – Frontiers of Planning – Evolving and declining models of city planning practice
49th ISOCARP Congress
Brisbane, Australia, 1-4 October 2013
2012 – Fast Forward: Planning in a (hyper) dynamic urban context
48th ISOCARP Congress
Perm, Russia, 10-13 September 2012
2011 – Liveable Cities: Urbanising World. Meeting the challenge
47th ISOCARP Congress
Wuhan, PR China, 24-28 October 2011
2010 – Sustainable City / Developing World
46th International Planning Congress
Nairobi, Kenya, 19-23 September
2009 – Low Carbon Cities
45th International Planning Congress
Porto, Portugal, 18-22 October
2008 – Urban Growth without Sprawl
44th International Planning Congress
Dalian, China, 19-23 September
2007 – Urban Trialogues
43rd International Planning Congress
Antwerp, Belgium, 19-23 September
2006 – Integration and Disintegration
42nd ISOCARP Congress
Istanbul, Turkey – 14 -18 September 2006
2005 – Making Spaces for the Creative Economy
41st International Planning Congress
Bilbao, Spain, 17-20 October
2004 – Management of Urban Regions
40th International Planning Congress
Geneva, Switzerland, 18-22 September
2003 – Planning in a More Globalised and Competitive World
39th International Planning Congress
Cairo, Egypt, 17-22 October
2002 – The Pulsar Effect
38th International Planning Congress
Glifada, Athens, Greece, 21-26 September
2001 – Honey, I Shrunk the Space – Planning in the Information Age
37th International Planning Congress
Utrecht, The Netherlands, 16-20 September
World Planning Congress 1965-2000
2000 – “People‘s Empowerment in Planning”
Cancun, Mexico
1999 – “The Future of Industrial Regions – Regional Strategies and Local Action towards Sustainability”
Gelsenkirchen, Germany
1998 – ‘Land and Water – Integrated Planning for a Sustainable Future”
Azores, Portugal
1997 – “Risk Assessment and Management: Planning for an Uncertain Future”
Ogaki, Japan
1996 – “Migration & the Global Economy: Planning responses to disintegrating patterns and frontiers”
Jerusalem, Israel
1995 – “Adaptation and Mediation in urban planning”
Sydney, Australia
1994 – “Expanding Demands on Planning”
Prague, Czech Republic
1993 – “Cities, Regions and Well-being”
Glasgow, United Kingdom
1992 – “Cultural Identities and Unity”
Cordoba, Spain
1991 – “Planning for Leisure – the Challenge of Tourism”
Guadalajara, Mexico
1990 – “The Environment and the City”
Warsaw, Poland
1989 – “Communication Technology and Mobility and their Impact on Urban Structure and Form (25th Anniversary)”
Basel, Switzerland
1988 – “Urban and Metropolitan Peripheries”
Taormina, Italy
1987 – “Planning and Actions for Shelter for the Homeless”
Delhi, India
1986 – “Research for Urban Planning Practice”
Paris, France
1985 – “Implementation of Planning – Non-Governmental Actions in Urban Planning”
Berlin, Germany
1984 – “Implementation of Planning in Small Towns – Agents of Action”
Braga, Portugal
1983 – “Implementation of Planning: The Partners”
Amsterdam, Netherlands
1982 – “Habitat for All: What is the Solution?”
Istanbul, Turkey
1981 – “Renaissance of the City, How?”
Stockholm, Sweden
1980 – “Planning and Education”
Tunis, Tunesia
1979 – “Planning and Energy”
Strasbourg, France
1978 – “Evolution of Urban and Regional Planning with Regard to Changes in the Society”
Montreal, Canada
1977 – “Urban Change and Urban Structure: How to Regain Coherence”
Athens, Greece
1976 – “Demands on Land”
Helsenki, Finland
1975 – “Planning for our Inheritance”
Edinburg, United Kingdom
1974 – “Urban Planning and Political Decision”
Munich, Germany
1973 – “Integration and Segregation in Urban Land Uses and Activities”
Zurich, Switzerland
1972 – “Visual Qualities of the Built-up Environment”
Gothenburg, Sweden
1971 – “Physical and Economic Planning”
Antwerp, Belgium
1970 – “Education of the Planner”
Aix-en-Provence, France
1969 – “The Integration of Public Transport in Town Planning Policy”
Dusseldorf, Germany
1968 – “Preservation and Life of Historic Sites in Urban Planning”
Torino, Italy
1967 – “Texte Programme of ISoCaRP”
Lyon, France
1966 – “The Urban Developments in the Region”
Coimbra, Portugal
1965 – “The Position of the Netherlands in a Uniting Europe”
Amsterdam, Netherlands
