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0-5 years of experience
Served as Chief Policy Liaison for development issues to Planning Board and City Council
- Authored and guided implementation of development legislation adopted by City Council.
- Streamlined functionality of city departments into ‘one-stop’ development process.
- Devised legal strategies with City Solicitor; All zoning judgments found in city’s favor.
- Awarded $2 million from grant applications and environmental impact statements
- Improved citizen participation in development process; produced cable TV program.
- Coordinated enhanced public consensus building process for Streetscape & Park Planning.
- Spearheaded new community initiatives – Historic Tax Credit Restoration; TIF implementation; 860-Acre Annexation; Wetlands/Woodlands Purchases.
10+ years of experience
Developed plans, legislation, needs analysis and recommendations used by Mayor and City Council to enact and enhance management policy, operational procedures and Code Legislation
- Produced the Public Safety element of City’s Comprehensive Development Plan
- Conducted government and community workshops, seminars and public meetings related to urban planning
- Developed legislation and policy for Atlanta’s current Street Vending program
- Created and managed the Street Vending Program during the 1996 Centennial Olympic and Paralympic Games that produced $2.9 million in revenue for the City
0-5 years of experience
Developed a new signage ordinance to reduce 30% of [company name]-Salem visual signage clutter throughout the city in ten years
- Re-authored 5% of outdated zoning standards to bring them current.
- Assisted in the updating of watershed laws to bring them current with National Clean Water Act
- Presented recommendations to the City County Planning Board and Elected Officials for proposed
- Collected and analyzed population demographics for use in [company name]-Salem’s annual Trends Report.
- Collaborated with community leaders to accurately assess local business needs and desired
- Help to develop the current City/County signage ordinance
0-5 years of experience
Directed the [company name] Historical Commission and authored the verbiage for the Commission’s historical markers
- Directed and maintained the [company name] Traffic Calming Program
- Authorized the interpretation of Town land use ordinances, zoning, and flood map for developers, engineers, architects, contractors and citizens
- Coordinated with SC state senators, mayors, and town administrators, to plan $700 million Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge
- Maintained funding requests, budgeting, and finances for the multiple programs
- Researched and analyzed street/drainage/sidewalk data
- Assigned the Town addresses through coordination with residents, county and post office
- Prepared and facilitated documents (ordinances, grants, recommendations, agendas, and minutes) for Town Council
- Provided Geographical Information Systems guidance and support through creating various mapping projects for the Town and SC state department coalitions
0-5 years of experience
Researched and interpreted principles and practices of land use planning pertaining to the Assembly’s Zoning Regulations
- Processed, reviewed and presented zoning applications, research and wrote administrative decisions for the assembly
- Gathered, analyzed and interpreted development data relating to Accra’s socio economic, population, land use, housing and industrial development
- Acted as liaison between the community and the assembly, establishing and maintaining an effective working relationship with all stakeholders in the community
10+ years of experience
Developed plans, legislation, needs analysis and recommendations used by Mayor and City Council to enact and enhance management policy, operational procedures and Code Legislation
- Produced the Public Safety element of City’s Comprehensive Development Plan
- Conducted government and community workshops, seminars and public meetings related to urban planning
- Developed legislation and policy for Atlanta’s current Street Vending program
- Created and managed the Street Vending Program during the 1996 Centennial Olympic and Paralympic Games that produced some $2.9M in revenue for the City
0-5 years of experience
- Provided technical and analytical support to the Department and the City including field surveys and census data analyses.
- Collected, managed, and mapped data using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for redevelopment projects in downtown neighborhoods.
- Produced economic development incentive packages and marketing materials for the Auburn Avenue corridor.
- Assessed the needs and determined recommendations for redevelopment projects in downtown neighborhoods.
- Prepared rezoning material to implement neighborhood plans in preparation for the 1996 Olympic projects.
0-5 years of experience
Utilized property tax assessment and equalized assessed evaluation to write Tax Increment Financing District designation documents for the City of Chicago.
- Qualified three Tax Increment Financing Districts; Authored TIF eligibility studies and redevelopment plans.
- Secured financing (including tax credits, TIF funds, and private equity) for multiple projects.
- Performed financial and economic impact analysis to assess feasibility of new development projects.
0-5 years of experience
- Analyzed residential and business density, zoning and future land use maps, existing and future multimodal interconnectivity using ArcGIS and CAD software, and presented findings to [company name]Board, City of Orlando staff and City of Orlando District three Commissioner
- Educated the community about good urban design and enhancing the image of the district.
- Provided good design advice by encouraging quality improvements to private property and public spaces.
- Cultivated community engagement by educating citizens about good urban design and how they can enhance the district image.
- Provided good design advice by encouraging quality improvements to private property and public spaces.
0-5 years of experience
- Prepared land use and transportation plans; performing complex quantitative and qualitative research and analysis of existing conditions and defined goals, policies, and actions.
- Developed maps using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) based on an inventory of findings and recommendations.
- Performed site plan and development reviews and zoning updates as a contracted municipal planner.
- Established relationships with residents, business owners, and stakeholders on behalf of clients.
- Developed and coordinated public participation through a variety of community involvement techniques including: open houses, focus groups, stakeholder meetings, workshops, and charrettes.
- Created and maintained websites for municipal and community planning projects and activities.
6-10 years of experience
- Master Planning/ Urban Design projects, coordinated between the different consultants involved in the site to implement a comprehensive plan aligned with the client needs.
- Directed the planning of a new residential community consisting of four phases each with its services and residential units.
- Designed the landscape of the residential units in the new community including the hard cape (leveling, platforms, tiles, swimming pools, Gazebos, etc.) and the soft-scape elements (trees, shrubs etc.)
- Prepared final master plan scheme of a (New community development).
Urban Planner Duties and Responsibilities
An Urban Planner’s main duties involve managing a town or city’s current utilities, designing their future plans for additional growth and keeping the community informed of those plans. We reviewed multiple job listings for Urban Planners and identified the following core duties and responsibilities.
Maintain and Inspect Public Utilities Urban Planners often review and improve upon a community’s public Utilities. These include transportation services, such as improving the pavement on roads. These responsibilities can also extend into maintaining or replacing waterlines, sewage pipes and similar public utilities. This includes ensuring all these services comply with the city’s land development ordinances or zoning laws.
Design Urban Settings The Urban Planner can also be called upon to work on developing site plans for specific buildings and projects, making sure all parking, trees, shrubs, driving and handicap access, are all in accordance with local and federal regulations. This could also extend out to include something as large-scale as assessing or designing the installation of additional forms of public transportation, such as subways, bus systems or rail networks.
Design Maps and Graphical Representations of Data Since Urban Planners are often the ones responsible for connecting the community with the city leader’s vision of the future, the Urban Planners are often in charge of designing maps for future projects or organizing relevant information into easy-to-read formats. This may include using diagrams, graphs and massing models to show the community how the city is expected to grow and change over time.
Collaborate with Specialists and the Community Urban Planners often serve as a link between the average citizen and the highly skilled people working to improve the city. They review plans for a city’s growth and use the advice of technical specialists to overcome any issues, then reach out to the community to explain the utility of these changes in language the average citizen can understand. Urban Planners often associate with neighborhood groups on evenings and weekends.
Communicate with Peers, Subordinates and Supervisors Urban Planners are team players, working with a network of city employees to help the community to grow. In order to make sure their plans for the community meet the needs of the majority while still falling within state and federal regulations, the Urban Planner will rely on the input from a variety of local and specialized sources. Managing, organizing and presenting this information in engaging and understandable ways will help to unify the community.
Urban Planner Skills
The Urban Planner relies on analytical skills to review the current and proposed plans for maintaining a city’s growth. They also rely on some creative skills in order to display those plans in a clear and engaging way, which the community can understand and support. They also need strong social skills, since they’re often called to work within the community and among the citizens themselves. Employers of Urban Planners are also watching for people with the following skills. Core skills: Based on job listings we looked at, employers want Urban Planner with these core skills. If you want to work as an Urban Planner, focus on the following.
- Managing interconnected projects with both a holistic and detail-oriented perspectives
- Making high-quality graphics, diagrams, maps, sketches and/or renderings. Experienced with Adobe Creative Suite programs, such as Illustrator, Photoshop, and InDesign
- Analyzing, manipulating and generating visual depictions of large data sets.
- Collaborating with cross-functional teams
Advanced skills: While most employers did not require the following skills, multiple job listings included them as preferred. Add these to your Urban Planner toolbox and broaden your career options.
- Experienced using web-based mapping platforms like, CartoDB, MapBox or other platforms designed to use Open Street Map
- Previous experience working in civil planning or environmental engineering
- General interest in and understanding of multi-modal transportation, public transit, and the principles behind new urbanism, transit-oriented development, and complete street design
Urban Planner Resources
We’ve put together a list of useful resources for anyone looking to explore a potential career as an Urban Planner. From leading industry groups to valuable resources, check below for additional opportunities to learn, connect and engage. On the Web
ArchDaily.com – A powerful resource for anyone interested in learning about architecture, urban growth, and managing a metropolis. This site provides countless articles, reference materials, interviews and much more, to educate both professional and student alike.
Sokanu.com – Many sites will give you information about Urban Planning, but Sokanu takes things a bit further. Here you can assess your capabilities and interests towards various fields, to make sure a career like Urban Planning is a good fit for you. This also includes a thorough overview of the career at large, working conditions you can expect, etc.
Places Journal – This is an informative journal about urbanism, landscape and cotemporary architecture. They publish a variety of criticisms, essays, photography and peer-review articles all dedicated to keeping their readers on the cutting edge of architecture and Urban Planning. On LinkedIn
Urban Planning – This resource provides member of LinkedIn with experts, job openings, articles and more. A great resource to provide professionals and students alike with important insights into the field of Urban Planning.
Urban & Regional Planning – This group centers around uniting professionals in Urban Planning from across the world. Here they share their experience, knowledge and interesting stories about their experiences in the field.
Smart Buildings and Urban Planning – This subgroup focuses on technological advances combing the latest ‘smart building’ designs with the needs of Urban Planners. They focus on efficient use of space, lowering operating costs, and managing the use of energy in these unique structures. Industry Groups
American Planning Association – a professional organization for certified planners and students pursuing careers in planning the development of towns, cities and metropolitan areas. Their website includes additional resources designed to educate, find jobs and extend special benefits to enrolled members.
Planetizen – This is an information exchange for anyone working in urban planning, urban design, and community development. This site presents articles and studies about a variety of the issues and obstacles professional planners face.
EnviornmentalScience.Org – Not all Urban Planners work in a thriving metropolis. Many focus on protecting the environment and preserving the natural resources of a community. Click here to see some of the issues faced by and the requirements desired of Urban Planners with this specialization in mind. Books
The Works: Anatomy of a City – This novel answers many questions about the ‘how’ and ‘why’ behind public utilities and their functions. Based off of the design and management of New York City, the lessons covered here in urban infrastructure are sure to apply, on some level, to any other community on the planet.
Urban Planning for Dummies – This is a great ‘starter’ option for the student of Urban Planning. This novel provides a practical overview of the career as a whole, while highlighting the necessary skills needs and issues faced by today’s Urban Planners.
Happy City: Transforming Our Lives Through Urban Design – Award-winning journalist, Charles Montgomery, sets out to examines the unique difficulties and solutions employed by some of the largest and most successful cities on earth.