covWe have the pleasure to announce an updated and expanded version of the International Manual of Planning Practice. This 6th edition of the IMPP edited by Judith Ryser and Teresa Franchini includes the planning paradigms and practices in 135 countries worldwide.

The book is a compendium on planning to practising planners in both the public and the private sector, as well as to other built environment professionals. It also constitutes a reference book for academics and students and provides basic information for planners, developers and investors who intend to operate in countries beyond their own. Besides a succinct background on each country and its planning system, the focus of the Manual is on planning practice. The format is a small book with summary pages of each country and an incorporated USB card with the country profiles as part of this publication.

The IMPP gives readers a comparative overview of planning worldwide provided by experienced practitioners and academics in five continents. The aim of the 135 case studies is to give a comprehensive panorama of the regulated development process and puts it into the perspective of real world experiences. For that reason the editors devised a template for the country contributions:

– General country information
description of the general country information (text, diagrams, maps, dealing with location, size, characteristics of the country, population, GDP, government, etc.)

– Planning framework
political and institutional structure and organisation, administrative competence for planning, main planning legislation. planning and implementation instruments and development control mechanisms.

Planning process
planning system and plan making, development control procedures, participation and appeal, other initiatives.

Sustainability and governance
environmental protection, Agenda 21, specific complementary legislation; main stakeholders in the spatial physical development process, urban management and maintenance, and relations between built environment users; use of ICT in the planning, information dissemination and participation process

– Evaluation
planning system in practice, critical analysis of the application of the planning system in practice, focusing on the gaps between planning legislation and physical spatial development and the future prospects of the planning process, besides other relevant comments.

ISOCARP sincerely thanks the editors Judith Ryser and Teresa Franchini for their invaluable work to accomplish this publication.

We also thank all authors for their contribution.

The IMPP can be ordered at the ISOCARP Head Office. Price: 35,-. Members pay 30,- euros (+ mailing costs).