The development of settlement in Stockholm has sometimes been slow, sometimes fast, chaotic and diffi cult to survey. How has this growth been handled? If we look back in history we see that the Swedish capital can boast an impressive series of radical planning projects, from the seventeenth to the twentieth century. What have the major planning projects meant for Stockholm? What were the ideals of urban construction at different points in time, how were the plans drawn up, and by whom? To what extent have they steered development and affected the appearance of the city? And to what degree did they stay on the drawing board without attaining any great practical signifi cance? How were planning ideas spread? To what extent have they crossed national borders? In this book I discuss the role of planning during some crucial phases in the history of construction in the capital.