European Council of Spatial Planners
The European Council of Spatial Planners (ECTP or, in French, CEU) is the European umbrella organisation of spatial planners. Currently the ECTP is composed of 26 national associations / national planning institutes from 24 out of the 47 member states of the Council of Europe, representing about 27,000 spatial planners. The Irish Planning Institute is the national planning association for Ireland within the ECTP, and represents Irish planning interests within the Council, where it has two delegates (these are currently Henk van der Kamp and Philip Jones). The IPI has been a full member of the ECTP since the early 1980’s, and former Presidents of the Institute have served on the Executive Committee of the ECTP (John Greer and Ciaran Tracey), and one (Joan Caffrey) has served as President of the ECTP.
The ECTP has an important role as a consultative body within the European Union structures. This, for example, allows for the ECTP’s participation in the formulation of the platform for recognition of professional qualification of spatial planners as per Directive 2005/36/EC, in consultation with the European Commission’s DG Internal Market and Services. For Irish planners, through the IPI, the ECTP provides a wealth of experience and exchange of best practice in planning, and also provides opportunities for networking with sister institutions in Europe. A number of the IPI study tours to European destinations have been facilitated by such networking, and the IPI has hosted visits to Ireland by groups of planners from sister institutes.
The ECTP organises, on a biennial basis, an awards scheme for planning in Europe – the European Urban and Regional Planning Awards. The winners of the Irish Planning Institute’s National Planning Awards are eligible to enter this competition, and previous Irish winners have been awarded prizes at European level. The European Awards were hosted by Ireland in 2008.
Further information on the ECTP can be got from their website- http://www.ectp-ceu.eu
Map showing Member Institutes of the European Council of Spatial Planners:
Links to Member Institutes of the ECTP:
Belgium: http://www.urbanistes.be
Czech Republic: http://www.urbanismus.cz
Denmark: http://www.fabnet.dk
Greece: http://www.sepox.gr
Spain: http://www.aetu.es
France: http://www.urbanistes.com
Italy: http://www.inu.it
Cyprus: (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Germany: www.srl.de
Netherlands: http://www.bnsp.nl
Hungary: http://www.mut.hu
Norway: http://www.fkp.no
Poland: http://www.izbaurbanistow.pl
Portugal:
Romania: http://www.rur.ro
Slovenia: http://www.ljudmila.org/dupps
Other links to world-wide organisations
IFHP International Federation for Housing and Planning - Many government departments and housing agencies belong to IFHP, and they organise excellent conferences both regionally and internationally.
ISoCaRP International Society of City and Regional Planners - Mainly individual planners, about 450-500 members, though now also offering corporate membership. Famed for its conferences and for the indispensable International Manual of Planning Practice.
The International Urban Development Association (INTA - formerly International New Towns Association) - Noted for its ability to bring together private and public sector partners such as local authorities and property developers, and with excellent connections to governments.
IFHP, ISoCaRP and INTA all have their head offices in The Hague.
