Urban and Regional Planner

I. JOB SUMMARY

 Main Topic: Places and Regions
Secondary Topic: Human Geography  

Overview: Urban and regional planners help develop plans and programs for the use of land and facilities in towns, cities, counties and major metropolitan areas across the United States. They help facilitate healthy communities for the people who live there and must consider the population growth, the urban structures, the environment and the resources at hand in that region. Geographers make excellent urban planners they have a concrete understanding of the interrelationships of places and how these can affect a community. If an urban planner/ regional planner does not have a concrete understanding of geography, then there can be many major problems in that community. Urban planners/ regional planners have a direct impact on traffic flow, sustainability, environmental management, and resource management.  

Geographers at Work: Physical and Human Geographers  

Recommended College Courses: Physical Geography, Geographic Information Systems, Remote Sensing, Environmental Management, Quantitative Methods, Human Geography, Regional Geography, Qualitative Methods 

Skills: Land-management. GIS. Law and governmental policy. Gathering and analyzing data. Interpersonal skills with people from many backgrounds. 

Occupation Group: Life, Physical, and Social Science

Learn more about Urban and Regional Planners from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and U.S. Department of Labor:
https://www.bls.gov/ooh/life-physical-and-social-science/urban-and-regional-planners.htm