This paper is an indicative study based on an international desk review of the emerging trends in the 21st century global built environment of Asia, Africa, Central America and Europe.While the case studies provided an array of issues in Architecture andPlanning, interesting similarities were observed on five main trends{discussed above} in ‘Cultural identities that are undergoingthrough a serious transition’, ‘the transformation of communityparticipation’, ‘the redefinition of the design-institution interface’,‘the negotiated {or contested} space through the global politicaldiktat {or the new world order}’ and ‘the shift to a multiculturalbuilt environment’.  Obviously by the end of the lastcentury {and at the outset of this century} there had been unevensocial changes in the ‘Northern’ and ‘Southern’ nations of the world,which triggered some remarkable spatial transformations in the cities.Maybe this is a good time for stocktaking of the emerging trends asthese are also transforming the contemporary architecture, planning andbuilt-environment. So what are the future options?
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