The National Assembly for Wales is engaged in the preparation of a national spatial planning framework to provide a context for sustainable development and environmental quality. This paper reports on research undertaken for the Assembly on the preparation of the spatial planning framework and identifies the initial stages in that process. The research itself draws upon a study of policy documents relevant to Wales, a comparative review of strategic spatial planning practices in the United Kingdom and mainland Europe, and the identification of the expectations of stakeholders for the framework. The paper illustrates how the concept of ‘spatial planning’ is being addressed and defined in the process of preparing the framework. The material provides an interesting insight into the emergent practice of spatial planning in the United Kingdom through a case study of Wales with wider relevance for spatial planning activity in Europe.