The paper deals with the growing tendency to articulate planning policies in principles and codes discussed in recent planning theory and reflected in planning practices. While this tool arouses interest and enthusiasm, very little attention is given to the way it affects planning thought and impacts – or should impact – the act of planning and the institutions involved. After discussing historical decisionmaking frameworks that applied planning codes, the paper turns to the decision-making frameworks designed to operate comprehensive land-use plans in regulatory planning systems, and to the problematics of zoning and outline plans as a regulatory device. It then discusses the meaning of the transition to planning codes and elaborates on the conditions to turn it into the dawn of a new, liberal and democratic planning framework for planning legislation.