This 2003 version of the New Charter of Athens is addressed primarily to professional planners working throughout Europe and those concerned with the planning process - to give direc-tion to their actions, for greater coherence in building a mean-ingful network of cities in Europe connected through time, at all levels and in all sectors.Spatial planning is vita1 for the delivery of sustainable devel-opment. In particular, it concerns the prudent management of space, a critica1 natural resource, limited in supply, but with growing demands upon it. It also requires trans-disciplinary teamwork involving different skills at various scales in long-lasting processes. The particular attribute of the planning pro-fession is its ability to take a range of issues into account and to translate them into spatial terms. The ECTP is aware of both the variety and the universality of the planning profession in Europe as it takes into account the rich diversity of its cities and regions.