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There is a disconnect between academic discourse about urban plannings neglect of cultural diversity and the robust embedding of ethnic cultures in the landscape of North American cities. We assess how planning practice is responding to cul-tural diversity through culturally sensitive policies adopted by municipalities in selected metropolitan areas in the United States and Canada. Using an index of multicultural policies as the basis of a questionnaire, we surveyed local planning departments in major immigrant-rich metropolitan areas in the United States and Canada. The survey, though limited in scope, yielded revealing findings on planning practice. Planning departments, led by market initiatives and commun-ity demands, are accommodating cultural diversity on a case-by-case basis, par-ticularly in large and medium-sized cities. Canadian cities have gone farther in adopting multicultural polices, but American cities are not far behind. Practice is outpacing theory, which is largely occupied with advocating greater sensitivity to cultural differences and emphasizing measures to involve ethnic minorities. We find that planning processes are already responsive to ethnic minorities, but challenges lie in reconciling competing objectives in land use, development, and the provision of community services. This article not only illustrates the state of multicultural planning, but also points to a strategy of reasonable accommoda-tion of cultural diversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]