Urban and regional plannersPlanners develop long-term and short-term plans to use land for the growth and revitalization of urban, suburban, and rural communities, while helping local officials make decisions concerning social, economic, and environmental problems. Because local governments employ the majority of urban and regional planners, they often are referred to as community, regional, or city planners. Planners promote the best use of a community�s land and resources for residential, commercial, institutional, and recreational purposes. Planners may be involved in various other activities, including making decisions relating to establishing alternative public transportation systems, developing resources, and protecting ecologically sensitive regions. Urban and regional planners address issues such as traffic congestion, air pollution, and the effects of growth and change on a community. They may formulate plans relating to the construction of new school buildings, public housing, or other kinds of infrastructure. Some planners are involved in environmental issues ranging from pollution control to wetland preservation, forest conservation, and the location of new landfills. Planners also may be involved in drafting legislation on environmental, social, and economic issues, such as sheltering the homeless, planning a new park, or meeting the demand for new correctional facilities. Planners examine proposed community facilities, such as schools, to be sure that these facilities will meet the changing demands placed upon them over time. They keep abreast of economic and legal issues involved in zoning codes, building codes, and environmental regulations. They ensure that builders and developers follow these codes and regulations. Planners also deal with land-use issues created by population movements. For example, as suburban growth and economic development create more new jobs outside cities, the need for public transportation that enables workers to get to those jobs increases. In response, planners develop transportation models and explain their details to planning boards and the general public. Before preparing plans for community development, planners report on the current use of land for residential, business, and community purposes. Their reports include information on the location and capacity of streets, highways, airports, water and sewer lines, schools, libraries, and cultural and recreational sites. They also provide data on the types of industries in the community, the characteristics of the population, and employment and economic trends. Using this information, along with input from citizens� advisory committees, planners design the layout of land uses for buildings and other facilities such as subway lines and stations. Planners prepare reports showing how their programs can be carried out and what they will cost. Planners use computers to record and analyze information and to prepare reports and recommendations for government executives and others. Computer databases, spreadsheets, and analytical techniques are widely utilized to project program costs and forecast future trends in employment, housing, transportation, or population. Computerized geographic information systems enable planners to map land areas, to overlay maps with geographic variables such as population density, and to combine or manipulate geographic information to produce alternative plans for land use or development. Urban and regional planners often confer with land developers, civic leaders, and public officials and may function as mediators in community disputes, presenting alternatives that are acceptable to opposing parties. Planners may prepare material for community relations programs, speak at civic meetings, and appear before legislative committees and elected officials to explain and defend their proposals. In large organizations, planners usually specialize in a single area, such as transportation, demography, housing, historic preservation, urban design, environmental and regulatory issues, or economic development. In small organizations, planners do various kinds of planning. Related news articles Chicago's hot neighborhoods - 16 Oct 2006 Chicago Sun-Times,...night in May 2005. The satellites captured surface temps, not air temps, said Anne Jaluzot, a city urban planner. Heat islands are ... Urban lifestyles topic of summit - Oct 13, 2006 Fort Wayne News Sentinel,26. The seven-hour conference, organized by the Downtown Improvement District, will feature a keynote address by urban planner and author Kyle Ezell, breakout ... FSI up? Experts give move thumbs-down - Oct 15, 2006 Ahmedabad Newsline,Urban planner and architect Anand Tatu feels that there are two main aspects that need to be considered while raising the FSI: earthquake-prone zones and ... Letting Vegas quench its thirst with our water sells out our ... - Oct 14, 2006 Salt Lake Tribune,Vegas will fill with Utah's water. That's some deal. * MCKAY EDWARDS is an urban planner and builder and lives in Salt Lake City. Elect Bigelow in Lee - Oct 15, 2006 The News-Press,...growth. We are hopeful that he will bring his expertise as a professional urban planner to dealing with that continuing problem. ... Downtown documentary Planner's film a flattering portrait of Ann ... - Oct 2, 2006 MLive.com,The 36-year-old urban planner and filmmaker had more than seven hours of footage to edit down to his final video, which mostly focuses on the South Main Street ... Editorial: St. Lucie County Commission District 2 - Oct 14, 2006 Stuart News (subscription),Democrat Coward, the best choice for this seat, is a trained urban planner and full-time Commissioner elected to the commission in 1998. ... An Arc to Save Palestinians - Oct 10, 2006 BusinessWeekAn urban planner came up with a concrete design to make postwar Palestine work. Politics got in the way. But the blueprint has a life of its own. ... Rising cost of living emptying Venice - Oct 11, 2006 Boston Globe,62,000. ``We've reached the point of collapse, the point where things could fall apart," said Ezio Micelli, an urban planner. Should ... Quotes: Friends and colleagues talk about Mason Andrews - Oct 13, 2006 Virginian Pilot,...downtown could come back. He was not the first, but he propelled it forward.�? - Ray Gindroz, urban planner. “The thing I recall ... Street's 'if at first' river plan - Oct 13, 2006 Philadelphia Inquirer,...least one community leader yesterday lauded the administration effort for including Penn Praxis and Janice Woodcock, an experienced urban planner whom Street ... Planner says transferring rights is driving growth - Oct 11, 2006 Nevada Appeal,..."I think transfer development rights are a major source of growth," said Douglas County resident Terry Burnes, a retired urban planner from the Bay area. ... Big plans in works for 6,000 acres - Oct 13, 2006 Charlotte Observer,...anyone go as far out as Dilworth' and a lot of people also thought that about Ballantyne," said UNC Charlotte's David Walters, an architect and urban planner. ... Panel reveals why Boomers aren't acting their age - Oct 14, 2006 Muskegon Chronicle,Her reflections were echoed by Peter Sartorius of Muskegon, an urban planner, father of three and step-granddad to one, who added, "I recently got remarried ... Architect named city administrator - Oct 14, 2006 Bohol Chronicle,...studies in Belgium. He used to be a practicing architect and faculty member of UB before joining the city government as urban planner. Literary Calendar: October 16-22, 2006 - Oct 14, 2006 Washington Post,6 PM Urban planner and activist Chester Hartman and sociology professor Gregory D. Squires discuss the new anthology There is No Such Thing as a Natural ... Georgia governor rips paper - Oct 13, 2006 Knoxville News Sentinel (subscription),...even if you're fortunate enough to be ahead.". Urban Planner: Florida's rise to No. 2 in the polls has Gators' coach Urban Meyer ... Physical planning in Kampala very poor - Sep 20, 2006 New Vision,An urban planner must in pursuance of his practice and duties, balance a number of conflicting but very important objectives to accommodate human activity in ... Design Meets Diplomacy - Oct 11, 2006 BusinessWeek...state—and, more importantly, an eventual peace agreement between the Israelis and the Palestinians—Los Angeles architect and urban planner Doug Suisman has ... Bring Back Porches and Step Up Bike Paths, Says Urban Planner - Oct 5, 2006 Hamilton Spectator,By Dana Brown. New Hamilton developments should study older areas of the city for design tips, says an internationally renowned urban planner. ... More information on Urban and regional planners from The U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook Overview of Urban and regional planners occupation Number of Urban and regional planners in the U.S. Salary and earnings for Urban and regional planners Working conditions for Urban and regional planners Significant points for Urban and regional planners Training requirements for Urban and regional planners Labor Information Home | Occupational data by city | Search Rainforests | Madagascar | What's new |