Urban planners develop long- and short-term land use plans to provide for growth and revitalization of urban areas while helping local officials make decisions concerning social, economic, and environmental problems. They promote the best use of a community’s land and resources for residential, commercial, institutional, and recreational purposes.

Planners perform a variety of tasks from transportation studies to environmental-impact assessments and zoning-code analyses.

Employment of urban planners is expected to grow about as fast as the average for all occupations, because city governments need planners to help solve the problems associated with population growth, such as the regulation of commercial development, the environment, transportation, housing, and land use and development. Non-governmental initiatives dealing with historic preservation and redevelopment will provide additional openings.

Urban planners should be flexible and able to mediate different viewpoints and make constructive policy recommendations. They also need the ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing.

Additionally, good organization, coordination, and managerial skills are necessary to maintain project schedules and budgets.

Planners should be able to apply data to prepare community planning reports and studies, in both graphic and written form. They need to know about civil engineering and architecture, economics, municipal finance, and sociology, and be able to interpret laws, rules, and regulations.

Additionally, planners should be able to write reports, letters and contracts, present ideas and findings clearly and concisely, have a team focus, and be able to work under minimal supervision.

Most entry-level jobs for urban planners require a master’s degree in urban planning; or a master’s degree with major course work in government, law, engineering, urban design, economics, social science, or urban planning, although a bachelor’s degree in a comparable field and 2 to 3 years of related work experience is sufficient for some positions.

Urban and regional planners are often required to travel to inspect the features of land under consideration for development or regulation. Some urban planners involved in site development inspections spend most of their time in the field. Although most planners have a scheduled 40-hour workweek, they frequently attend evening or weekend meetings or public hearings with citizens groups. Planners may experience the pressure of deadlines and tight work schedules, as well as political pressure generated by interest groups affected by land use proposals.