ABSTRACT
This chapter sets the background for the book, starting with a brief review of the concepts of spatial planning and development. Then we shift our focus on the long-lasting concern about the process of planning, or ‘how to plan’, as well as ‘what it takes to plan well’ – that is, the competences of planners that make plans better and their work easier. The chapter closes with some notes about the approach of the book, as well as its content.
