City Planner Career Information Copyright Texas Education Agency (TEA)

What They Do:  Develop long- and short-term plans for the use of land and resources in communities  Recommend locations for roads, schools, housing developments, and public facilities  Before designing plans, study and report on the current use of land in the community, types of industries there, and characteristics of the population  Prepare reports showing how their programs can be carried out and how much they will cost Copyright Texas Education Agency (TEA)

Tools They Use:  Computers, both personal and notebook  Map creation software  Global positioning system receivers (GPS) Copyright Texas Education Agency (TEA)

Working Conditions:  Often work 40 hours a week in a typical office environment  Often travel to inspect land under consideration for development  Frequently attend evening or weekend meetings or public hearings with citizens’ groups Copyright Texas Education Agency (TEA)

Who They Work For :  Local governments (68%)  State government agencies  Private companies involved in architectural or engineering services  Federal government (small number) Copyright Texas Education Agency (TEA)

Training Required:  Most entry-level jobs in city planning require a master’s degree from an accredited program in urban or regional planning.  Most graduate students are required to work in a city planning office as an intern while pursuing their degree.  Certification by the American Institute of Certified Planners is helpful for promotion. Copyright Texas Education Agency (TEA)

Skills:  Ability to forecast the future needs of community populations  Flexible and skilled at finding compromises between differing viewpoints  Computer and software skills Copyright Texas Education Agency (TEA)

Knowledge areas:  Regulations and environmental issues affecting land use, such as pollution control, forest conservation, and wetland preservation  Location and capacity of streets, highways, airports, water & sewer lines, schools, libraries, etc.  Economic and legal issues involved in zoning and building codes Copyright Texas Education Agency (TEA)

Income:  Median income for a city planner is $61,820 per year. O*net Summary for City Planner O*net Summary for City Planner  There are approximately 38,000 city planners in the United States.  Projected growth is faster than average for the coming years (14-19%), and the most growth will be in fast-growing, affluent areas. Copyright Texas Education Agency (TEA)