What You'll Do

  • Design, promote, or administer government plans or policies affecting land use, zoning, public utilities, community facilities, housing, or transportation.
  • Recommend approval, denial, or conditional approval of proposals.
  • Create, prepare, or requisition graphic or narrative reports on land use data, including land area maps overlaid with geographic variables, such as population density.
  • Advise planning officials on project feasibility, cost-effectiveness, regulatory conformance, or possible alternatives.
  • Conduct field investigations, surveys, impact studies, or other research to compile and analyze data on economic, social, regulatory, or physical factors affecting land use.
  • 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.
  • Mediate community disputes or assist in developing alternative plans or recommendations for programs or projects.
  • Coordinate work with economic consultants or architects during the formulation of plans or the design of large pieces of infrastructure.
  • Review and evaluate environmental impact reports pertaining to private or public planning projects or programs.

Essential Skills

Active Listening 4.12/5
Speaking 4.12/5
Judgment and Decision Making 4.12/5
Reading Comprehension 4.0/5
Critical Thinking 4.0/5
Systems Analysis 4.0/5
Writing 3.88/5
Complex Problem Solving 3.75/5
Systems Evaluation 3.75/5
Social Perceptiveness 3.62/5
Negotiation 3.38/5
Active Learning 3.25/5

Career Fit Overview

Use this summary to understand the kind of profile this role rewards. It helps you judge whether this career looks like a stronger match than your current role, a nearby move worth exploring, or a broader path to compare more seriously.

Top passions

  • Analyst: Investigating problems and finding patterns keeps you engaged.
  • Leader: Taking charge and moving ideas forward motivates you.
  • Organizer: Bringing order to data and processes satisfies you.

Common styles

Dependability, Cooperation, Integrity, Attention to Detail, Intellectual Curiosity

Want a personal read on fit? Take the free assessment and compare this career to your current role, nearby alternatives, and broader stronger-fit options.

Key Abilities

This career demands strong capabilities in the following areas:

Oral Comprehension 4.12/5
Oral Expression 4.12/5
Written Comprehension 4.0/5
Written Expression 4.0/5
Problem Sensitivity 4.0/5
Speech Clarity 4.0/5
Deductive Reasoning 3.88/5
Inductive Reasoning 3.88/5

Technologies & Tools

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 Adobe PageMaker Adobe Photoshop Autodesk 3ds Max Design Autodesk AutoCAD Autodesk AutoCAD Map 3D Bentley MicroStation Caliper TransCAD Citilabs TRANPLAN CommunityViz Computer aided design CAD software

Work Environment & Strengths

Common Strengths for This Career

  • Dependability (High importance: 4.65/5)
  • Cooperation (High importance: 4.45/5)
  • Integrity (High importance: 4.45/5)
  • Attention to Detail (High importance: 4.44/5)
  • Intellectual Curiosity (High importance: 4.44/5)

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How to Become One

This career requires extensive preparation, typically including a graduate degree (Master's or Doctoral) and several years of experience. Most professionals in this field have invested significant time in education and training.

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Also Known As

This career is known by many different job titles across industries. Here are all the variations:

Campus Planner City Designer City Planner City Planning Engineer Community Development Planner Community Development Technician Community Planner Community Planning Technician Developer Advocate Development Technician Economic Developer Economic Development Coordinator Housing Development Specialist Housing Grant Analyst Housing Liaison Land Use Planner Neighborhood Planner Occupancy Planner Planner Planning Consultant Planning Official Planning Specialist Planning Technician Program Services Planner Regional Economic Liaison Regional Facilities Specialist Regional Liaison Regional Planner Regional Transfer Liaison Sustainable Communities Designer Sustainable Development Policy Analyst Town Planner Traffic Expert Urban Designer Urban Planner

Career Fit FAQs

Is this career a good fit for me

This page shows the role itself. To see personal fit, use the assessment to compare your interests, motivations, and strengths against this career and against the role you are in now.

Can this help if I want to stay in my field

Yes. Many people use career pages like this to compare nearby roles in the same field and see whether they need a full switch or a better-fit version of the work they already know.

What should I compare first

Start with the daily tasks, the preparation level, and the work-style signals on this page. Then use the assessment to see whether this role looks like a stronger fit than your current role or just a different title.