This unique 'quinqualingual' dictionary covers terms which concern the planning, design and protection of the environment. The languages are American and British English, German, French, and Spanish, together with many Latin-American equivalents. It is intended for the use of landscape architects, urban planners, nature conservationists and environmentalists, as well as planning practices, research and educational institutes and now contains a total of approximately 12,000 terms - a 20 per cent increase over the German-leading-language original.The terms have not simply been translated, but, as often as possible and useful, various interpretations at the planning, legal or technical level are also included in the definitions, with cross references to generic and specific terms, thus adding to the precise meaning and allowing clarification of the scope of each term. In cases where particular terms are not used, or as yet unknown, in one or another of the languages, helpful suggestions have been made for their translation. Definitions in each of the five languages are a valuable aid in understanding and provide alternative wordings for everyday use.

Four discrete indexes, one in each major tongue, conclude the encyclopedic dictionary.