This book is an account of how the Milan Provincial Administration and a team of researchers from Milan Polytechnic worked together to develop a new 'Strategic Plan' for Milan's urban region. Informed by innovative conceptions of both how to understand cities in the contemporary world, and engage in strategic planning work, this experience has already attracted considerable international attention. The authors now consolidate their contribution into a comprehensive account which continually relates theory and practice Examining the Milan Plan in detail, the book explains the profound transformations which put great pressure on the traditional descriptive tools so planners must engage in the production of new ones. It also proposes that these transformations affect the way in which urban policies and planning processes are designed. The project offers insights into - and new directions for - planning theory more generally, while at the same time testing this powerful and innovative research hypothesis in an important European city empirical study. In detailing the results of this project, this book proposes useful ground-breaking approaches to planning for similar urban regions. 'An innovative attempt to deal with real-world uncertainties, this book reframes the discourse of strategic spatial planning. The authors create a new space for sensitive exploration of possible urban futures in an excellent case example to inspire academics and practitioners with what can be achieved if one dares to break the mould.' Jean Hillier, Newcastle University, UK 'This book does much more than telling the story of a project for Milan. The authors skillfully reflect on strategic planning by means of practice. The critical interplay of theory and practice make the book very useful for students, practitioners and non-conventional actors in strategic planning processes.' Louis Albrechts, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium 'This is an extremely valuable book for all planning practitioners and scholars who recognise the 'inadequacy' of conventional strategic planning tools up against the dynamic uncertainties of the world in which they plan.' Scienze Regionali