Urban and Regional Planners

What Does a Urban and Regional Planners Do?

Develop comprehensive plans and programs for use of land and physical facilities of jurisdictions, such as towns, cities, counties, and metropolitan areas.

Day-to-Day Responsibilities

• 1Design, promote, or administer government plans or policies affecting land use, zoning, public utilities, community facilities, housing, or transportation.
• 2Advise planning officials on project feasibility, cost-effectiveness, regulatory conformance, or possible alternatives.
• 3Create, prepare, or requisition graphic or narrative reports on land use data, including land area maps overlaid with geographic variables, such as population density.
• 4Hold public meetings with government officials, social scientists, lawyers, developers, the public, or special interest groups to formulate, develop, or address issues regarding land use or community plans.
• 5Mediate community disputes or assist in developing alternative plans or recommendations for programs or projects.
• 6Recommend approval, denial, or conditional approval of proposals.
• 7Conduct field investigations, surveys, impact studies, or other research to compile and analyze data on economic, social, regulatory, or physical factors affecting land use.
• 8Evaluate proposals for infrastructure projects or other development for environmental impact or sustainability.

Required Skills

• Speaking
• Judgment and Decision Making
• Active Listening
• Reading Comprehension
• Critical Thinking
• Systems Analysis
• Writing
• Systems Evaluation
• Complex Problem Solving
• Social Perceptiveness
• 3D urban simulation modeling software
• Accela KIVA DMS
• Accela PERMITS Plus
• Accela Tidemark Advantage
• Adobe Acrobat
• Adobe Creative Cloud software
• Adobe Dreamweaver
• Adobe FreeHand MX
• Adobe Illustrator
• Adobe InDesign