21.6 Careers in Urban Planning

A career in urban planning involves creating and improving cities, towns, and neighborhoods. Urban planners work on many types of projects, like building houses, shops, and parks. They make sure that new developments are good for the community and the environment. Urban planners consider things like how land is used, how people will get around, and what services are needed. They often work with architects, engineers, government officials, and the public to make sure their plans are balanced and effective.

What Planners Do

Urban planners create detailed plans that guide how areas will develop over time. These plans cover zoning laws, where buildings can go, housing needs, and ways to boost the economy. They also do research and analyze data to make sure their decisions are based on facts. Involving the public is a big part of their job. Planners gather opinions from community members through surveys, public meetings, and working with local groups to make sure everyone’s voice is heard.

Some planners are generalists and work in public-sector planning departments. These planners work on comprehensive citywide plans, zoning, land use, neighborhood improvement, and other area plans like parks and recreation planning or lakefront improvement. Other planners work in specialized areas. For example, planners might work in a Department of Community Development on affordable housing and community improvement. Others might work in a Department of Economic Development, focusing on projects meant to boost local tax revenue and improve the local economy.

You can also find planners in entities like Departments of Building and Housing or special offices of the mayor like sustainability or urban analytics.

Career Paths

How can you pursue these jobs? Undergraduate education in things like community planning, political science, and sociology is a good start. Graduate education in urban planning is normally recommended. Planners take coursework in things like community engagement, land use, urban design, data analytics, and geographic information systems (GIS). Many planning classes have an applied focus to give students insight into the real world of city planning practice.

To get a sense of the types of applied projects advanced planning students complete, check out these links from recent CSU student projects: Revising Our Waterfront Line and Balancing Broadway.

Feel free to check out other resources from the American Planning Association (here), the Ohio Chapter of the APA (here), and the Cleveland Section (here).