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Ever since policy analysis appeared on the scene as a field of higher education and practice, planners have been concerned about their relationship with it, at times claiming that planning and policy analysis are one and the same, at other times viewing the two as different fields. This article examines the relationship between the two fields in terms of their underlying assumptions and prevailing modes of practice, comparing them along eight dimensions. The conclusions show that some significant differences between the fields do exist, and there are trends both of convergence and divergence. Some directions for the future relations between planning and policy analysis are outlined.