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).
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 Head Office for further information and communication on this matter.
Below are links to documents from past ISOCARP Congresses (2001-2016), 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 2018.
ISOCARP would like to thank all congress participants for contributing to a very successful 54th ISOCARP congress. Big thanks go to the congress team, the keynote speakers and the many presenters for their inspiring ideas and talks.
A very special thank you goes to the City of Bodø that gave all of us such a warm and heartfelt welcome. Thousand thanks for the wonderful hospitality that made us feel at home from the very first moment.
Check out the congress results, the presentations, videos and pictures!