As the peak organisation representing Professional Planners across the globe, the Commonwealth Association of Planners, abbreviated to CAP, has championed, promoted and connected planners and planning since its inception almost 50 years ago. CAP is a volunteer based organisation, drawing support from our 27 member Institutes who in turn represent over 40,000 planners and allied professionals across the Commonwealth.

History

The Commonwealth Association of Planners was formed provisionally on 23 September 1970, and its constitution ratified in March 1973, to, among other things; :''"promote co-operation between member organisations and between individuals in the commonwealth, to achieve the most effective contribution by planners to the wellbeing of society, and the creation of a satisfactory environment."''Commonwealth Association of Planners Website
/ref> In 2002 this was amended. The phrase "a satisfactory environment" was deleted and replaced by "more sustainable settlements and adequate shelter for all". This terminology derived from the Habitat Agenda that was agreed at the 1996 UN

Habitat II Habitat II, the Second United Nations Conference on Human Settlements was held in Istanbul, Turkey from June 3–14, 1996, twenty years after Habitat I held in Vancouver in 1976. Popularly called the "City Summit", it brought together high-level ...

meeting in Istanbul. It reflected the start of an increasingly close link between CAP and UN Habitat. The association produces newsletters roughly three times a year, and holds conferences for planning theorists and practitioners. CAP was led by

Heriot-Watt Heriot-Watt University ( gd, Oilthigh Heriot-Watt) is a Public university, public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. It was established in 1821 as the School of Arts of Edinburgh, the world's first mechanics' institute, and subsequ ...

professor Cliff Hague from 2000–2006, under whom the association played a significant role in developing "new urban planning" in response to the rapid urbanisation and increased slum settlements in cities across the globe. From 2006–10 he was Secretary-General of CAP. Since 2010 Clive Harridge has been Secretary-General. CAP works with the

Commonwealth Association of Architects Commonwealth Association of Architects (CAA), formed in 1965, is an organisation for national and regional institutes representing architects in Commonwealth countries. As such, under the Commonwealth family, the association validates courses in a ...

, the Commonwealth Engineering Council and the Commonowealth Association of Surveying and Land Economy: these act together as Built Environment Professions in the Commonwealth (BEPIC). CAP also works with other Commonwealth partners as ComHabitat. CAP led the case for the "re-invention" of planning at the 2006 UN Habitat World Urban Forum, where a book was launched to support this advocacy. The book. ''Making Planning Work: A Guide to Approaches and Skills'' was published by Earthscan. In 2010 CAP has produced two Discussion Papers published by the Commonwealth Secretariat. These are ''Gender in Planning and Urban Development'' and ''The State of the Cities: Why and How the Commonwealth must address the challenge of Sustainable Urbanisation''.

Current President and Past-Presidents of CAP

* 2020 - Present
Eleanor Mohammed
Canada * 2014 - 2020
Dyan Currie
Australia * 2006 - 2014: Christine Platt, South Africa * 2000 - 2006
Cliff Hague
United Kingdom * 1996 - 2000: Bill Robertson, New Zealand * 1991 - 1996: Jacqueline daCosta, Jamaica * 1988 - 1991: Bill Robertson, New Zealand * 1984 - 1988: Dr. Peter Pun, British Hong Kong * 1980 - 1984: George Franklin, United Kingdom * 1976 - 1980: A. Ligale, Kenya * 1970 - 1976: Arthur Ling, United Kingdom

Member Organizations

Bangladesh Institute of Planners

Barbados Town and Country Planning Society

Belize Association of Planners
*

Canadian Institute of Planners The Canadian Institute of Planners (CIP) is a professional organization in Canada for those involved in land use planning. It is responsible for advocating at national and international levels for members, developing public policy positions, and ...

* Cyprus Association of Town Planners
Ghana Institute of Town Planners

Institute of Town Planners India

Institute of Town Planners Sri Lanka

Jamaican Institute of Planners

Kenya Institute of Planners

Malaysian Institute of Planners
* Malawi Institute of Planners]
Malta Chamber of Planners
* Namibia Council of Town and Regional Planners * New Zealand Planning Institute * Nigerian Institute of Town Planners * Planner’s Association of Dominica * Planning Institute of Australia *

Royal Town Planning Institute The Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) is the professional body representing planners in the United Kingdom, and Ireland. It promotes and develops policy affecting planning and the built environment. Founded in 1914, the institute was gra ...

Singapore Institute of Planners
* South African Planning Institute * St Lucia Institute of Land Use Planners * Tanzania Institute of Planners
Town & Country Planning Brunei Darussalam
* Town Planning Association of Mauritius
Trinidad & Tobago Society of Planners
* Uganda
Zambia Institute of Planners

References

C.Hague 2009 "Viewpoint: Planning in the Commonwealth" Town Planning Review 80(2) downloadable from www.commonwealth-planners.org/papers/hague.pdf Professional planning institutes Commonwealth Family {{prof-assoc-stub