City Planner Job Description, Skills, and Salary
Get to know about the duties, responsibilities, qualifications, and skills requirements of a city planner. Feel free to use our city planner job description template to produce your own. We also provide you with information about the salary you can earn as a city planner.
Who is a City Planner?
Professionals who plan out the uses of land inside cities and communities based on what those communities require are known as city planners or urban planners. Economic growth and development, transportation needs, street, and road design, and various zoning requirements are all common concerns for city planners. A city planner, sometimes known as an urban planner, is in charge of assessing and planning land use, community areas, and other urban regions.
The profession necessitates a certain educational path, and you’ll need to be prepared to study for several years before starting. The function of a city planner is to create and implement a vision for their town. The construction of a strategy that defines tactics to bring their vision to life, informed by data analysis and driven by community goals, is at its core. From public officials to engineers, architects, and real estate developers to lawyers, city planners interact with the full team that drives the planning process. Community action plans, redevelopment and economic development plans, disaster preparedness plans, and historic preservation projects are among the types of plans they generate.
City planners assist in the planning of cities by deciding on things like building heights, street widths, the number of street signs, and the design and placement of street “furniture” (everything from bus stops and lampposts to newsstands and wastebaskets). Making decisions about how a city is organized requires inventiveness, and a job in city planning necessitates an understanding of basic technical principles, the capacity to negotiate, political diplomacy, and financial savvy. To be a great urban planner, you need strong analytical skills and a strong will. Every building or structure must be designed with an understanding of how it interacts with other aspects of the city, such as coordinating the construction of water and power facilities while still ensuring that people have access to light, heat, and freshwater, or designing housing complexes that are close to public transportation. Another component that the planner must consider is aesthetic design, which can be a contentious issue.
The urban planner must design with an awareness of the city’s policies and build plans that are financially viable. This third element can be difficult to address because urban-planning projects almost always go over budget and past date, and even the most cost-effective design can expect to face criticism from some quarters. To analyze the community’s needs and encourage public engagement in the process, the planner begins by surveying locations and conducting demographic, economic, and environmental assessments. If the planner is redeveloping an area (rather than starting from scratch or landfilling it), he or she must first assess existing structures and neighborhoods before deciding what can be done to modify them. During these phases, planners collaborate closely with economic advisors to develop a plan that is beneficial to both the region’s economy and its population.
The creation of maps and designs is the next step. The urban planner collaborates closely with the architects as they develop plans for bridges, radio and telephone towers, and other significant pieces of infrastructure. The planner conducts extensive research into zoning and landscaping regulations. On occasion, urban planners must also develop or renovate the town’s zoning restrictions on building utilization in the most efficient manner possible for the region. He talks with community organizations to gather data on transportation and land use. Financing is a complex part of the profession, requiring the planner to balance social, budgetary, and developmental considerations in order to respond to the community’s need for advancement while also presenting a fiscally viable proposal to governments and private investors. Working for the government or the commercial sector can provide a variety of options. City planners with a master’s degree in their profession can progress their careers by accumulating on-the-job experience and rising up to senior positions. A second master’s degree in a discipline such as environmental or civil engineering, GIS technology, or another particular emphasis on the city or regional planning may be pursued by some city planners.
A variety of hard and soft talents are used by city planners. Many of the hard skills city planners employ in their daily tasks revolve around the use of technology, such as geographic information systems (GIS) for organizing and interpreting statistical data, database applications, spreadsheet software, and presentation-making programs. For disseminating information, engaging with the public, and handling contacts with public authorities, coworkers, and other persons, city planners must have good written and vocal communication skills. City planners collaborate with a wide range of public and private sector experts to plan land uses, rehabilitate ancient buildings and neighborhoods, and undertake other development projects. A career as a city planner may also necessitate the assumption of various crucial tasks.
Types of Urban Planning
Strategic urban planning: Setting high-level goals to construct a strategic plan is known as strategic urban planning. All other elements of urban planning are incorporated into one comprehensive plan.
Land-use urban planning: This sort of planning is concerned with following the rules and regulations that govern how communities use lands, such as zoning and reservations. Residential, commercial, industrial, and municipal land uses for government structures such as police stations and courthouses are among the various land uses.
Master planning: Master planning envisions future applications for previously abandoned spaces and is utilized to develop an undeveloped property. They also take into account the zoning and infrastructural requirements for a project.
Urban revitalization: Urban rejuvenation aims to improve regions that are deteriorating, such as an urban cities with inefficient transit and dangerous structures. This sort of urban planner interacts with people of the community, such as local business owners and activists.
Economic development: Economic planning focuses on creating chances for financial growth, such as luring corporations to relocate to specific buildings or constructing new offices on specified land in order to reinvigorate local economies.
Environmental planning: The goal of this sort of planning is to strengthen the link between the natural environment and local communities by focusing on sustainability and environmental preservation. Air pollution, noise pollution, wetlands, habitats, endangered species, natural disasters, and coastline erosion may all be factors considered by these planners.
Infrastructure planning: Infrastructure planners work with the facilities and systems that serve a city and its residents. Sewage, power, schools, hospitals, parks, highways, police agencies, and firefighting facilities are all examples of infrastructure.
City Planner Job Description
Below are the city planner job description examples you can use to develop your resume or write a city planner job description for your employee. Employers can also use it to sieve out job seekers when choosing candidates for interviews.
The duties and responsibilities of a city planner include the following:
- Plan new urban infrastructure design and building.
- Assist in the management of the present infrastructure and urban resources of a city.
- Create and modify municipal plans to accommodate population growth and development.
- Keep residents up to date on city planning developments.
- Recommend the best locations for various urban amenities like schools and roads.
- Assist in the drafting of land use and development legislation.
- Ensure that the environment is safeguarded at all stages of the planning and development process.
- Propose and administer zoning restrictions for private properties within urban areas.
- Use computer tools to aid the planning process, such as mapping land areas, estimating planning and construction expenses, and predicting trends like population growth.
- Prepare reports that include information about the location and characteristics of various urban infrastructures, as well as demographic statistics.
- Hold public meetings involving government officials, land developers, lawyers, special interest groups, and the general public to resolve concerns concerning urban land use and development.
Qualifications
- Master’s degree in urban or regional planning, environmental planning, urban design, or a related discipline.
- Previous experience as a city planner is required.
- The American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) certification
- Member of the American Planning Association (APA).
- Excellent project management abilities.
- Outstanding analytic abilities.
- Strong interpersonal and communication abilities.
- Adobe Creative Suite programs such as Illustrator, Photoshop, and InDesign are familiar.
- Knowledge of web-based mapping technologies such as CartoDB and Mapbox is required.
- Creating high-quality graphics, diagrams, maps, sketches, and/or renderings.
- Detailed understanding of new urbanism, transit-oriented development, and complete street design ideas.
Essential Skills
- Analytical skills: Urban planners gather and analyze a variety of data in order to design plans that benefit the public. They’ll require analytical skills to look at collections of data and establish the statistics’ and data sets’ real-world context. They provide forecasts about how population, employment, and health trends will affect urban growth, for example. Environmental studies, market studies, and demographic surveys such as the census are used to create strategies.
- Communication skills: To collaborate on a strategic plan, urban planners consult with the businesses that have hired them as well as their own teams. Communication skills also aid urban planners in forming community relationships. These ties provide planners with information about the needs of the community and assist them in gaining support for their ideas. Urban planners also speak with business leaders, activists, and citizens to learn about their requirements and to explain how their plans would benefit the areas. When producing reports and funding submissions, urban planners employ written communication abilities as well. They may also utilize their writing skills to express their land plans to companies and anyone who will be impacted by their plans.
- Creativity skills: Urban planners come up with novel solutions to challenges like infrastructure and land usage. Urban planners use their imaginations and collaborate in groups to come up with solutions that alter how people use land in cities. An urban planner, for example, might design new parks to provide urban residents with access to public places.
- Decision-making skills: Urban planners may have a choice of prospective strategies or solutions when developing a strategic plan. They can use their decision-making abilities in these scenarios to figure out which plans or solutions will best serve the community while staying within budget. Because urban planners deal with decisions that affect huge groups of people, they rely on their decision-making skills to develop plans that benefit all parties involved.
- Management skills: Urban planners frequently work in groups and handle many projects. When dealing with a range of reports, they must supervise tasks, keep teams engaged, and stay organized. They must also adhere to their employers’ budgets and timelines, as well as help the community whose land they are developing.
- Ability to make suggestions: When working with your team, you might be proactive in offering plans or suggestions to demonstrate your analytical thinking and communication skills.
- Use of feedback: Employers may provide you with feedback in order to help you improve your workplace abilities. To develop your skillset, think about how you can incorporate this criticism into your work approach.
- Have faith in yourself: Your education and experience will help you excel at your work. Try to have faith in your capacity to make key decisions, offer valuable work, and lead project teams.
How to Become a City Planner
- Complete your bachelor’s degree
Before you may receive a master’s degree in your chosen subject, you must first complete a four-year degree program at a recognized college or university. While there is no specialized bachelor’s degree in city and urban planning, there are alternative majors that will prepare you for a master’s program in urban planning. Economics, architecture, civil and environmental engineering, environmental design, geography, and political science are among these majors. Many aspiring city planners serve as interns after completing their bachelor’s degree to obtain experience in the industry before pursuing their master’s.
- Continue with your master’s degree in city, regional or urban planning
Earn a master’s degree in city, regional, or urban planning to further your education. Urban planning legislation, metropolitan planning, spatial analysis, GIS technology, and negotiation are all common topics in master’s degrees in urban planning. If you don’t finish an internship after receiving your bachelor’s degree, you might be allowed to enroll in an internship or workshop during your graduate program.
- Choose a concentration in city, regional or urban planning
Become an expert in a specific area of the city and urban planning. Many master’s programs might focus on various aspects of city planning, such as land use, transportation, and community design and development. As you complete your graduate studies, you may be able to discover additional work experience options such as internships and studio projects that will help you prepare for a job in your chosen field.
- Obtain your certification
Although not all states mandate certification for city planners, the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) offers a voluntary AICP certification for the city and urban planners. You must pass an exam and renew your credentials every two years to maintain certification. You can also get a Certified Environmental Planner (CEP) certification if you choose an environmental planning concentration. Your AICP CEP certification must also be renewed every two years.
Where to Work as a City Planner
City planners can work for a range of organizations, including government agencies, public companies, and private businesses, and usually, work full-time hours. Many city planners split their time between the office and other sites, where they conduct assessments for planning purposes. City planners may engage with public authorities and the community to launch and execute initiatives, and their work may include difficult tasks that these professionals must complete under stringent timelines. Many various agencies employ city developers, and many of them travel throughout the country to obtain work. Recent grads should contact their state’s Department of Transportation or the United States Army Corps of Engineers for civil engineering courses. Experienced engineers frequently work for private companies or general contractors, where the planner has significantly greater autonomy.
City Planner Salary Scale
A city planner, also known as an urban planner, earns an average annual pay of $66,995, which varies by state and agency, as well as experience level. As city planners gain experience, many may rise to the job of senior urban planner, which pays an average of $85,903 per year in the United States. Other occupations in the subject of city planning might also pay well. Environmental planners, for example, earn an annual average pay of $74,006 in the United States. Depending on where you work, you may have more opportunities to earn a higher salary if you specialize in a specific area of city planning. A Planning Engineer in Nigeria earns roughly 286,000 NGN per month on average. Salaries range from 140,000 NGN to 446,000 NGN.