Urban / Regional Planner

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

O*NET reports this occupation under titles such as: City Planner; Community Development Planner; Community Planner; Development Technician; Housing Development Specialist; Neighborhood Planner; Planner; Planning Consultant; Planning Technician; Regional Planner

Tasks

• Design, promote, or administer government plans or policies affecting land use, zoning, public utilities, community facilities, housing, or transportation.
• Advise planning officials on project feasibility, cost-effectiveness, regulatory conformance, or possible alternatives.
• Create, prepare, or requisition graphic or narrative reports on land use data, including land area maps overlaid with geographic variables, such as population density.
• Hold 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.
• Mediate community disputes or assist in developing alternative plans or recommendations for programs or projects.
• Recommend approval, denial, or conditional approval of proposals.
• Conduct field investigations, surveys, impact studies, or other research to compile and analyze data on economic, social, regulatory, or physical factors affecting land use.
• Evaluate proposals for infrastructure projects or other development for environmental impact or sustainability.
• Discuss with planning officials the purpose of land use projects, such as transportation, conservation, residential, commercial, industrial, or community use.
• Keep informed about economic or legal issues involved in zoning codes, building codes, or environmental regulations.
• Assess the feasibility of land use proposals and identify necessary changes.
• Determine the effects of regulatory limitations on land use projects.
• Review and evaluate environmental impact reports pertaining to private or public planning projects or programs.
• Supervise or coordinate the work of urban planning technicians or technologists.
• Develop plans for public or alternative transportation systems for urban or regional locations to reduce carbon output associated with transportation.

Knowledge

• Law and Government
• English Language
• Geography
• Transportation
• Communications and Media
• Administration and Management
• Sociology and Anthropology
• Customer and Personal Service
• Computers and Electronics

Skills

• Active Listening
• Speaking
• Reading Comprehension
• Critical Thinking
• Writing
• Active Learning
• Mathematics
• Learning Strategies
• Monitoring

Abilities

• Oral Comprehension
• Oral Expression
• Written Comprehension
• Written Expression
• Problem Sensitivity
• Speech Clarity
• Deductive Reasoning
• Inductive Reasoning
• Near Vision
• Speech Recognition
• Fluency of Ideas
• Information Ordering
• Category Flexibility
• Originality
• Visualization
• Mathematical Reasoning
• Number Facility
• Flexibility of Closure
• Far Vision