Town planner

As a town planner, you may work on projects to:

• assess the impact of new road and rail links
• plan for housing, schools and energy generation sites, like wind farms
• conserve old buildings and archaeological sites
• redesign urban spaces and develop sustainable parks, woodlands and waterways

You could:

• develop local, regional or national planning policies
• assess technical information, site data and surveys
• make sure rules are followed in planning proposals and applications
• advise interested parties on regulations and policy
• prepare reports explaining planning decisions
• attend planning inquiries, hearings and appeals

We've identified this as a potential green job

For a town planner to be a green job, you could:

• work on plans for cycle routes to reduce car use and lower carbon emissions
• plan green areas in cities to improve air quality
• include renewable energy sources in plans

Find out more about green careers

• knowledge of geography
• analytical thinking skills
• legal knowledge including court procedures and government regulations
• the ability to work well with others
• excellent verbal communication skills
• maths skills
• the ability to use your judgement and make decisions
• business management skills
• to be able to use a computer and the main software packages confidently

You may need a driving licence to visit development sites.

You can get into this job through:

• a university course
• an apprenticeship
• working towards this role

With experience, you could become a senior or principal planner, planning department manager or consultant.

You could apply for Chartered Planner status, which demonstrates your skills and expertise in this role.

You might also move into:

• environmental management
• urban regeneration
• recreation management
• property development