To place yourself on an urban planning career path, consider obtaining an urban or regional planning masters degree from an accredited program. A degree in a related field like geography, environmental planning or urban design can also help you enter this field. Urban planners are also called city or community planners.
Related Urban Planner Programs
What does an urban planner do?
An urban planner develops short and long term plans for comprehensive land use to serve the growth and revitalization of urban, suburban and rural communities. Part of their vision is to help local officials address economic, social and environmental concerns, For example, they recommend locations for roads, schools and other public infrastructure.
They suggest zoning regulations for private property. This requires that urban planners forecast future population needs.
Urban planners determine the most appropriate uses of the land and resources for residential, commercial and recreational purposes. In fact, some of them are involved in environmental issues like pollution control, wetland preservation, forest conservation and landfill placement. They may also help draft legislation on these and other related areas.
What kind of education does an urban planner need?
While there are some urban planner bachelor degree programs, a masters degree is usually necessary to advance in the field. Accreditation for these degree programs comes from the American Institute of Certified Planners.
Specializations include:
• Community Development
• Land Use
• Code Enforcement
• Transportation Planning
• Environmental and Natural Resources Planning
• Urban Design
• Economic Planning and Development
In addition, taking courses in related disciplines is recommended. These include architecture, earth sciences, demography, computer science, finance, law and computer modeling.
How much does an urban planner earn?
Bureau of Labor statistics suggest that median annual salaries for urban planners are at around $59,810.
Where can an urban planner work?
About 66% of urban and regional planners work at the local government level assisting in problems related to population growth and the resulting infrastructure and public development required in those areas.
However, there are an increasing amount of positions available in the private sector also. These include professional, scientific and technical services industries like private developers.