Most planning degrees at South African universities include a compulsory course in planning law. This is usually the first time that planning students encounter law as a discipline. Planning students therefore need to familiarise themselves with sources such as the Constitution, legislation and court decisions. The Planning Law Casebook seeks to assist students in this regard. Understanding how to use, interpret and apply case law is perhaps the most difficult aspect of planning law.

Part I of the Planning Law Casebook describes the different parts of a typical court case. Part II briefly explains how the Casebook should be used. Part III contains discussions and analyses of 18 key planning law cases, which reflect the different components of current planning law. Part IV is a glossary in which the relevant legal concepts and terminology are defined. Part V includes extracts from applicable legislation. Part VI provides examples of typical planning documents, such as a deed of transfer, a notice of the removal of a restrictive condition or rezoning, and a part of a schedule to a town planning scheme indicating one of the zoning categories.