The Dalhousie University School of Planning defines Planning this way:
Planning is a discipline that is broadly defined to include the organization and development of cities and regions in a sustainable way (economically, socially, and environmentally). Planners work on a variety of different types of projects, such as developing urban design guidelines, reviewing development proposals, and developing community grants programs. They use skills such as policy analysis, facilitation of community meetings, GIS, data analysis, and collaboration with other organizations to produce plans, programs, and policies.