Abstract
This paper describes the challenges of managing a town planning office in Nepal, based on the author’s own work experience. After an introduction to the Kathmandu Valley and its planning institutions, the paper explains how the town planning office operates, describes its programmes and discusses the kind of cooperation it receives from local residents, landowners, politicians and government. It focuses in particular on the socioeconomic, political and administrative challenges and constraints facing the town planning office in enforcing building bylaws, encouraging land-pooling, developing roads and protecting public land, especially in the context of the proactive stance taken by the author. The paper concludes that a less proactive approach might achieve more in moving towards greater receptiveness to the concept and objectives of urban planning.