A lot of fur'iners register on the Cyburbia Forums, but they never seem to post anything.
There's a list of countries that I call "planning compatible" with the United States -- English-speaking places where the planning process, both current and comprehensive, is very similar to that of home. Planning-compatible countries include Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. (The UK planning process is very different than what's encountered in other English-speaking countries, and I'm told it's impossible for a US planner to land a job across that direction of the pond.)
Canada -- urban dynamics are different, but on our side of the counter the current/comp planning process is almost identical to the US. High-rise residential is much more common than in the States, even in suburban areas. In those same 'burbs, though, most commercial districts I've seen appear to be very similar to somewhat average U.S. style "strips."
Australia and New Zealand -- more state/regional control over local planning and land use, but there's still conventional zoning, variances, PUDs, and so on. The built environment is silimar to that of the US -- dense central cities, and sprawling vehicle-oriented suburbs. Actual municipality sizes are very small. Public transit in medium-sized cities rivals what would be found in a much larger US city; the limited access road system is equivalent to what would be found in the U.S. in the early 1960s, and surface streets are more congested, and similar to a mix between what would be found in the U.S. and U.K. I don't know if there's an equivalent to planning commissions Down Under.
South Africa -- current planning is almost identical to what would be found in a US county with lenient land use regulations but more red tape, I've heard. Excluding the townships, the built environment of Jo'burg supposedly resembles a somewhat greener but meaner Los Angeles. Public transit is almost nonexistent, and limited access highways are as common as American cities. The 'burbs have strip retail, and enclosed malls are more common than in the U.S. The ZA zoning codes I've seen are difficult reads -- poorly organized, with lots of legalese. Subdivision regulations are primitive (i.e. like what you would see in an Arizona, Texas or New Mexico county), and lots are called "erfs."
