International Society of City and Regional Planners
The International Society of City and Regional Planners (ISOCARP) is a non-governmental global association of experienced professional planners. It was founded in 1965 in a bid to bring together recognised and highly-qualified spatial planners in an international network. The first president of ISOCARP was its co-founder Prof. Sam van Embden (1965-1975).
The Society has over 700 individual and institutional members from more than 80 countries. ISOCARP is currently led by Richard Stephens (USA) together with 11 members of the Executive Committee from around the World with the Head Office located in The Hague, Netherlands. ISOCARP is formally recognised by the United Nations and the Council of Europe and has a formal consultative status with UNESCO.
The objectives of ISOCARP include the improvement of cities and planning practice through the creation of a global and active network of practitioners by the exchange of experience, training, education and research. It promotes the planning profession in all its aspects and enhances public awareness and understanding of major planning issues at a global level. ISOCARP has a strong record and reputation on a number of regular activities such as the annual congress, a strong series of publications, awards for best practices, training programmes and workshops for professional support in urban planning.
The Society is launching its Institute, Centre of Urban Excellence in 2016. The Institute’s prime objectives include: strengthening cross-border collaboration globally; upholding professional excellence in planning; advancing sustainable planning; increasing awareness of major development trends and promoting best practices; all while serving as an “Urban Think Tank” facilitating the generation and dissemination of knowledge for better cities.
Although ISOCARP members, planners and other stakeholders involved in the development and maintenance of the built environment, work in many different fields, they share a common interest in the spatial and environmental dimensions of urbanisation. They advise key decision-makers, proposing and supporting projects for intervention in various spatial contexts. ISOCARP is a politically and commercially independent world-wide organisation.
The association‘s main event is the annual World Congress. Since 1965 ISOCARP congresses have taken place world-wide on globally-significant cutting edge topics promoting knowledge creation and sharing in the planning profession. The 51st International Congress themed "Cities Save the World, Let's Reinvent Planning" took place in Rotterdam and in 11 different North-Western European cities with small workshops. The next congress will be held in Durban, South Africa on the topic: "Cities we want. Cities we need" just a month before the Habitat III Conference.
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