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Dear Colleague

A Plan for a Global Planning Partners Network

I am writing to update you on the progress of the Global Planners' Network.

Last year we introduced you to GPN's 'self-diagnostic tool' for assessing planning capacity worldwide that encourages planners to consider priorities for enhancing planning capacity in their countries.

GPN received over 1500 responses to this exercise from 117 countries. This response exceeded all expectations and it has taken longer than we expected to analyse the messages you sent. Some of this analysis is now available on the RTPI international website and more will follow. Where possible, given the need to respect confidentiality and the limitations of the methodology, we are compiling summaries of key views from individual countries and regions and hope to make these available shortly.

We fed some of your messages to UN-HABITAT to help provide a practice-input to the 2009 Global Report on Human Settlements (GRHS) which focuses on planning. They have now started work on the 2011 GRHS which focuses on climate change and have extended an invitation for more input from planning practitioners around the world.

UN-HABITAT is also due to launch a new Global Campaign for sustainable urbanisation that they are looking to planners to support.

Perhaps the strongest message from respondents is that planners around the world want more opportunity to link up with one another, to discuss the issues and problems they tackle on a daily basis, and to share ideas and successes. Respondents say that peer to peer contacts could help to balance top-down thinking that strongly shapes development in many places.

As part of our commitment to the mission of the Global Planners' Network we want to help you realise these aspirations. This is the plan which we would like you to consider.

RTPI and CAP are scoping a 'Global Planning Partners' Network' (GP2N) website. In the longer term it might carry this kind of content:


Planner-to-planner Networking
- Discussion groups
- Requests for information
- International Planning Aid
- Internships and exchange opportunities
- CV/Situations vacant

International Noticeboard
- Newsletters
- Events calendar & promotions
- Tender advertising
- Calls for Papers
- High level consultations


Links to External Information Resources
- Reputable existing data
- Good practice case studies
- Distance learning material
- Training and education courses
- Open access utilities
- Research reports
- Information directories


We are considering the practical requirements of an on-line planning network that would help achieve just this, and how to develop it as a multi-lingual project. We want to see whether we can use the rapidly developing web-based communications to enable planners to share new information and ideas with their colleagues around the world.

Please tell us what you think. This project will succeed only if it meets your needs. Would such a resource be of value to you? If so, what would be your priorities for us to develop?

We look forward to hearing your ideas.


Robert Upton
Secretary-General
Royal Town Planning Institute
41 Botolph Lane
London EC3R 8DL
Registered Charity No 262865
and in Scotland SC 037841
(44) 020 7929 9476
www.rtpi.org.uk
RTPI - mediation of space - making of place