Description:
This paper examines the education of spatial planners in Europe. The comparison is based on studies about the current state of implementation of the Bologna Process, which has been originally undertaken and recently updated by the Association of European Schools of Planning (AESOP). The training of planners, i.e. the quality of planning education and its applied standards, is a key point of discussion among schools of planning. Ultimately, the definition of standards depends on the feedback from professional circles (in particular regarding the situation on the labour market), and on co-operation with planning organisations. Accordingly, AESOP currently is in discussion with the European Council of Spatial Planners (ECTP) on the extent to which standards should be defined in terms of the new system of university degrees (bachelor’s and master’s degrees) to guarantee a common European labour market and avoid any restrictions on access.