The Neighbourhood Planning and Design Guide is a comprehensively updated and revised version of its predecessor, the Guidelines for Human Settlement Planning and Design, also known as the Red Book.

The development of the new Red Book was initiated, coordinated and funded by the national Department of Human Settlements. The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) was responsible for the management of the development process and the preparation of the final document.

The Red Book supports the development of sustainable human settlements by providing practical information related to the planning and design of the services and infrastructure typically provided as part of a neighbourhood development project.