Whatever economic globalization or 'global village' is the very portrait of present world, no one can deny that, it is a wise choice, with world developing, to make every citizen enjoy all the peace, wealth and health maintained by human beings.
Any action to hinder the knowledge from spreading is against the original intension of human.
While on the other hand, to accelerate the spreading of the knowledge is proved to benefit those conferrers and dispensers, in particular the education course.
And in this aspect, the discipline of urban planning begins with its first significant step.
Promoted by of APSA, AESOP, ACSP and ANSAPS, the first World Planning Schools Congress was held in Tongji University in July, 2001. And there were nearly 1000 officials, scholars of urban planning, educators, students and practitioners gathered making a deep discuss on the common achievements in urban planning and construction, communicating actively on working experience, as well as referring to practical experience of the other countries, cities and research partners. Therefore it made a full success.
According to the common sense of the above paragraph, to deliver the spirit to the whole world, 10 countries and transnational planning educational organizations, gathered signing the SHANGHAI STATEMENT on July 14th, which declares:on the goal of increasing mutual communication in order to improve the quality and visibility of planning and planning education. To achieve this, it was agreed to establish a global planning education association network and committees to plan holding the second World Planning Schools Congress and to develop an inclusive communication network.
Here you see the web page of Global Planning Education Association Network directed by the spirit of the Shanghai Statement.
Here we also provide various urban planning organizations with opportunities for mutual communication and immediate report on the significant events of worldwide urban planning, discussing on the developing tide of planning theory, even further, improving the function of urban planning in public life, in order to build a city system which is sustainable and impelling.
What we want to put emphasis on is that this network not only exists in the infinite virtual digital world, but also is consisted of close relations between a myriad of scholars, schools and cities, which must be existing in real life and detailed common study. And we will try our best to bring up this cooperation and communication.