UDC: 711.432:711.122:005.56 DOI: 10.5379/urbani-izziv-en-2011-22-01-001

Recent planning practice in post-communist cities in-dicates a growing interest in strategic spatial planning. In their search for new planning paradigms and more flexible approaches to city planning, municipalities in post-communist cities have embraced strategic planning as a way to involve residents, the business community and various stakeholders in defining a vision for the future. Drawing on the experience of six capital cities – Prague, St Petersburg, Vilnius, Sofia, Budapest and Riga – this article outlines the essential characteristics of the process (planning) and the product (a strategic plan). It establis-hes clear links between the strategic development process, its institutional framework and the hierarchical structure of goals, objectives and actions. Using a framework for strategic spatial planning in the context of rapid econo-mic, social and governance change, the study evaluates the results of the process, focusing on “what ” and “how ” in the complex reality of planning. The framework applies the traditional strategic planning model, which establis-Venturing into unknown territory: Strategic spatial planning in post‑communist citie