Journal of Planner and Development

About the Journal

Journal of Planner and Development (JPD) is a peer-reviewed, open access academic journal published by the Center of Urban and Regional Planning for Postgraduate Studies , University of Baghdad. Established in 1995, the journal provides a scholarly platform for research in urban and regional planning, urban design, sustainable development, environmental planning, spatial analysis, geoinformatics, planning technologies, urban systems, and socio-spatial development.

Journal Profile

Manuscript Types and Scholarly Contribution

JPD publishes Original Research Articles and Review Articles that present clear scholarly contributions to planning theory, planning methodology, spatial decision-making, urban policy, environmental sustainability, governance, built environment studies, and planning practice.

Publishing Frequency

The journal is currently published three times per year on a triannual basis.

The publication frequency of JPD has developed over time in line with the journal’s editorial growth, the increasing volume and diversity of scholarly submissions, and the need to ensure more timely dissemination of accepted research. Earlier volumes were published according to the publication schedule approved at the time, which commonly included two issues per year, with possible special or supplementary issues where applicable. Beginning with Volume 28 (2023), the journal adopted a regular triannual publication schedule, with three issues per year.

Differences in the number of issues across previous years reflect the journal’s documented publication history and approved editorial development, not missing or incomplete archive content. All previously published volumes and issues remain part of the official scholarly archive of JPD and retain their bibliographic and academic status.

For more information, please visit: About the Journal, Aims and Scope, and Current and Archived Issues.

Announcements

JPD Manuscript Formatting Tool

2026-06-21

The Journal of Planner and Development (JPD) announces the availability of an online tool that may assist authors in converting their manuscripts according to the official journal template.

Authors can use this tool as a preliminary technical aid before submission. However, the tool should not be considered a fully automatic or final formatting solution.

After using the tool, authors must manually review the converted manuscript and ensure that all parts of the paper comply with the official JPD manuscript template, including titles, abstracts, keywords, author information, headings, tables, figures, references, and required statements.

Important Note: The formatting tool does not replace manual checking. Authors remain fully responsible for verifying the final manuscript before submission. Read more about JPD Manuscript Formatting Tool

Join Our Reviewer Community – Journal of Planner and Development (JPD)

2026-05-24

Editorial and Publishing Development Plan 2026–2028

2026-05-24

Current Issue

Vol. 31 No. 2 (2026): Journal of Planner and Development (JPD)

The publication of Volume 31, Issue 2, for the year 2026 represents an important transitional stage in the development of the Journal of Planner and Development. This issue follows the implementation of a series of scientific, editorial, and technical updates intended to strengthen the journal and enhance its academic presence at both the regional and international levels.

Beginning on 1 July 2026, the journal adopted English as the primary language for newly submitted manuscripts. This policy forms part of the journal’s effort to broaden its readership and research community, increase the discoverability and citation potential of published articles, and better prepare the journal to meet the requirements of international indexing services and scholarly databases.

The articles published in this issue were submitted and accepted before the new language policy came into effect. Their editorial procedures were therefore completed, and they are published in Arabic within the transitional arrangements approved by the Editorial Board. This approach preserves the academic and procedural rights of authors whose manuscripts had already completed the evaluation and acceptance stages under the previous policy, and it does not represent a reversal of the language policy adopted for new submissions.

The development process included rebuilding the journal website in English, updating the journal’s description, aims, and scientific scope, reorganizing the policy and guideline pages, developing the official manuscript template, and strengthening article metadata requirements. It also included updates to the policies governing peer review, research integrity, similarity screening, publication ethics, and the responsible use of artificial intelligence tools.

The Editorial Board expects these updates to establish a clearer institutional pathway for publication, improve the quality of submitted research, strengthen transparency in dealings with authors, reviewers, and readers, and prepare the journal for a gradual transition toward a broader international presence while preserving its scientific identity and its role in addressing planning and development issues in Iraq and the region.