An urban planner is a professional responsible for the development of city areas. This typically involves the separation of the land into appropriate zones (residential, commercial and instustrial, as well as other important locations and areas), and overseeing the execution of those development plans so that they’re kept to precisely. An urban planner commonly works with a close team of architects and other experts who advise them and collaborate to achieve the best possible designs for the city.
The educational requirements for an urban planner’s job are usually high, expecting a Master’s degree from candidates in most cases. A good urban planner must have a good vision of the future and not just the immediate term – e.g. being able to figure out how a change is going to affect the city’s development further down the road as opposed to right at that moment, in order to make better and more viable decisions while they’re working.
Urban planners can earn a moderately high salary, typically around $71,000 – $84,000 in most cases. It’s not uncommon for the job to come with various additional bonuses and benefits as well, such as access to good services and utilities, as well as a good opportunity to develop one’s career and take it further. On the other hand, it should also be noted that the job market for urban planners tends to be a bit too heavily saturated – especially in recent times – leading to a heavy stream of competition in some areas.