World Town Planning Day 2025

On 8 November, planners around the world will unite to celebrate World Town Planning Day (WTPD) - a day to recognise the power of good planning to improve lives, strengthen communities, and shape sustainable, thriving cities.

The 2025 theme, With Planning We Can, shines a light on the many ways planning helps tackle today’s most pressing social, economic, and environmental challenges, from housing affordability to climate resilience and community wellbeing.

First established in 1949 by Argentinian professor Carlos María della Paolera, World Town Planning Day has grown into a global celebration of the profession’s positive impact. Each year, planners and communities across the world mark the occasion with lectures, school competitions, fundraisers, awards, charity events, and street festivals, all dedicated to showcasing how, with planning, we can build better places for everyone.

2025 theme - With Planning, We Can!

In a world facing complex challenges, the 2025 WTPD theme affirms that planning is at the heart of the solution. With planning, we can!

  • We can create sustainable, inclusive, and resilient places where people and nature thrive.
  • We can guide growth to deliver better outcomes for communities across cities, towns, and regions.
  • We can tackle climate change, support recovery from disasters, and help communities adapt to an uncertain future.
  • We can shape the neighbourhoods of tomorrow - places that are equitable, prosperous, and connected.

On World Town Planning Day, planners globally re-affirm that with planning we can deliver the homes that are needed and inspire solutions so that communities can adapt to a fast-changing world and bridge social and spatial inequalities.

We can unlock sustainable, inclusive, equitable, prosperous and resilient places.

We can guide the delivery of better outcomes for people in municipalities and regions around the world. We can address climate impacts and facilitate disaster recovery. We can future-proof communities and help build the neighbourhoods of tomorrow.

POV: What does "With Planning We Can" mean to you?

PIA’s National Head of Advocacy, Nicole Bennetts RPIA, recently asked a few of our members what this year’s World Town Planning Day theme  “With Planning We Can” means to them.

🎧 Hear their perspectives on how planning empowers people, strengthens communities, and shapes a better future.

Watch here

Share a post to celebrate planners

We’ve created a collection of social tiles and stories you can share throughout the week to help spread the word and showcase the power of planning.

🎉 Download your favourite graphics, post them on your channels, and help us make some noise about the impact of planners everywhere.

Be sure to tag us as @PlanningInstituteAustralia on LinkedIn, @pia_planning on Instagram (and don't forget @becomeaplanner on Instagram to inspire the next generation of planners!)  

 Series Launch

  

We’re proud to launch Built on Planning - a new storytelling series that showcases how good planning enables more homes in great communities.

Each story highlights the real-world impact of effective planning in creating sustainable, inclusive, and thriving places across Australia.

We’ll be adding more stories soon, celebrating the success of good planning and the planners who make it happen.

👉 Explore the first three stories below.

QLD

ENVI Micro Urban Village

Demonstrating how forward-thinking planners enabled Australia’s first micro-lot village, unlocking affordable and diverse housing solutions. 

Read here

 

NSW

Green Square

Highlighting how planners guided one of Australia’s largest urban renewal projects, turning former industrial land into a thriving, sustainable community.

Read here

SA

SA Land Supply Dashboard

Showcasing innovative planning tools that give decision-makers clear, actionable insights to shape housing and infrastructure for the future.

Read here

Do you have a story about planning for housing?

We’re looking for more examples that show how planning creates positive change.

Share your story and help demonstrate that With Planning We Can deliver more homes, better places, and stronger communities.

Let us know