What an urban planner really does
You check what people want to build against the rules and the community, then stand up in public and recommend a yes, a no, or a yes with conditions.
FieldScience and engineering
Preparation (O*NET Job Zone)Extensive preparation needed
What the work involves
What fills a typical week for urban planners, built from O*NET occupation data.
- Review development applications against the zoning code and flag what does not conform
- Write staff reports that recommend approval, denial, or conditional approval to the planning commission
- Pull land use, population and traffic data into maps and tables for a report
- Answer emails and calls from applicants, neighbors and other city departments every day
- Meet with developers, engineers and architects to talk through changes before a hearing
- Present at public meetings and field questions from commissioners and residents
- Visit sites now and then to see how a proposal fits the street and the neighborhood
What the days are like
What people in the job know
- Email never stops. A big share of the job is answering applicants, neighbors and other departments in writing. E-mail: 100% every day; Telephone conversations: 76% every day (O*NET Work Context)
- Conflict is a regular part of the calendar, not a rare event. Hearings bring out strong feelings about change. Conflict situations: 54% once a month or more, 25% once a week or more; Dealing with unpleasant or angry people: 48% once a month or more (O*NET Work Context)
- You recommend, but elected and appointed officials decide. Your freedom is real but bounded. Freedom to make decisions: 58% some freedom, 25% limited freedom (O*NET Work Context); Task 6: Recommend approval, denial, or conditional approval of proposals
- Public speaking is routine. Most planners present at least monthly, many weekly. Public speaking: 72% once a month or more, 28% once a week or more (O*NET Work Context)
- Evening hearings and deadlines push the week past 40 hours for nearly half of planners. Duration of typical work week: 46% more than 40 hours (O*NET Work Context)
How people get into it
O*NET places this in Job Zone 5. Most new hires hold a master's degree (56% of respondents, often in urban planning), and 40% say a bachelor's degree is enough for entry level roles. Many planners start as planning technicians or assistant planners and later earn AICP certification.
The Firstday trial, easy to hard
Three simulated tasks at City of Larkfield Planning and Development Department, a fictional company, with AI coworkers who message you, react to your work and coach with questions. Nobody scores you.
What the trial can't show: This trial does not cover site visits in person, the slow pace of projects that take months or years to move through approval, real GIS software work, or the political relationships with council members that build up over time.
Reading about it is one thing.
Find out how the work feels to you before you spend on a degree, course or job change. Your first trial is free.
Other careers you can try
Job details on this page are built from O*NET OnLine, 19-3051.00. This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.