This volume provides an overview of Northern European planning. It examines the key issues as well as the evolution, traditions, current innovations and future developments in the field of planning. Focusing on how planning impacts upon social issues such as employment, social exclusion and quality of life, this work also examines innovations in planning policy and practice, particularly the challenge of sustainability. The contributors analyze the built environment's relationship with culture, and take a critical look at the creative rethinking currently taking place in Nordic planning.