Global Planning Education Association Network (GPEAN) is a network of 11 planning schools associations from around the world. Established in the wake of the first World Planning Schools Congress in 2001 in Shanghai, the main goal of network is to improve the quality of planning education and the visibility of the planning profession by putting spatial planning and its education at the forefront of the global agenda. The network intends to attain this goal through a number of activities:
Together with its member associations, GPEAN organizes a World Planning Schools Congress (WPSC) every five years. So far, five WPSCs have been organized, bringing together planning educators and scholars worldwide: the 2001 Shanghai WPSC; the 2006 Mexico City WPSC, the 2011 Perth WPSC; the 2016 Rio de Janeiro WPSC; and the 2022 Bali WPSC. The sixth WPSC will be held in 2026 in Helsinki.
Another activity led by GPEAN is the compilation of the Dialogues in Urban and Regional Planning book series, which features seminal articles from the members of the eleven planning schools associations, and hence providing a glimpse into the discussions and concerns regarding planning theory, practice and education in different regions of the world. The Dialogues in Urban and Regional Planning book series is published in association with Routledge. The sixth book in the series was published in August 2017, bringing together articles on the theme of “The Right to the City”. Currently work continues for the preparation of the seventh book.
GPEAN is also actively involved in UN Habitat events and activities. It contributed with a chapter to both the 2009 Global Report named Planning for Sustainable Cities, and the 2016 World Cities Report. The Network and its member associations have contributed to the Habitat III process and particularly the debates on the New Urban Agenda, which was adopted during the Habitat III Conference in October 2016. GPEAN is a member of the General Assembly of Partners (GAP), a special initiative proposed by the World Urban Campaign (WUC) to serve as a platform for non-governmental partners in Habitat III. GPEAN has also been involved in the United Nations Climate Change Conference COP-23 in Bonn in November 2017, the Planners for Climate Action initiative launched during COP-23, the 9th World Urban Forum (WUF) in Kuala Lumpur in February 2018, UN-Habitat Assembly (UNHA1), in Nairobi in May 2019.
