The urban planning profession and its activities in Eastern and Central Europe have been affected by the political and economic transformation in these countries. The new, still evolving societal and institutional frameworks present urban planners with a highly dynamic context to which they must adapt. In contrast to relatively predictable centrally planned and controlled development, the cities there are now subjected to multiple forces and immense pressures on their already fragile environments. This article reviews the frameworks, trends, and issues that characterize the planning practice in this transitional period as evidenced in the capital cities of Prague, Bratislava, and Budapest. Planners in the U.S. and Western Europe will find many of these topics relevant to past, present, and future circumstances they face. The article provides for mutual learning and exchange of experiences, and for better understanding and improvement of planning systems and practice. It relates to the core dilemma in justifying planning as government intervention vis-a-vis free market rule.
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