You’re an Urban Planner? What exactly do you do?
If you’re reading this blog, you must be aware that I am an urban planner.
You cannot imagine how many times I have been asked to define my profession.
After meeting someone and being asked the standard question, “What do you do?,” I retort, “I’m an urban planner,” to which responses are sometimes:
- “What do you plan in cities? Events? Weddings? Parties?”
- “I’ve never heard of that profession.”
- “Oh, so you’re like an architect/engineer?”
On most occasions, however, people generally have a sketchy idea of what the profession entails, but it is rare that someone is completely on point.
Although it is certainly not an esoteric profession, to most people, it is one of those disciplines that operates at the junction of architecture, engineering, law, and politics.
In some ways, they’re right, as urban planners are considered “generalists with a speciality.” In order to handle the rigors of operating in the public realm, we must have a comprehensive understanding of everything from housing and landscaping techniques to demographics and land use law.
This begs the question: what is the exact definition of an urban planner?
Ask anyone, and most, if not all, will recite the roles of well understood professions, such as lawyers, doctors, accountants, etcetera.
But most will never enunciate a concrete definition of urban planner.
It’s not their fault.
In fact, because I wear so many different hats on a daily basis and my tasks require a multi-disciplinary approach, I sometimes have trouble distilling my profession (or, should I write, passion) into a few concise sentences when queried.
Nevertheless, let’s look at how “urban planner” is defined on the interwebs:
Via wikipedia.org:
An urban planner is a professional who works in the field of urban planning for the purpose of maximizing the effectiveness of a community’s land use and infrastructure. They formulate plans for the development and management of urban and suburban areas, typically analyzing land use compatibility as well as economic, environmental and social trends. In developing their plan for a community (whether commercial, residential, agricultural, natural or recreational), urban planners must also consider a wide array of issues such as sustainability, air pollution, traffic congestion, crime, land values, legislation and zoning codes.
Urban planners are usually hired by developers, private property owners, private planning firms and local/regional governments to assist in the large-scale planning of communal and commercial developments, as well as public facilities and transportation systems. Urban planners in the public role often assist the public and serve as valued technical advisors in the myriad web of the community’s political environment. Related disciplines include regional, city, environmental, transportation, housing and community planning.
Via wisegeek.com
Urban planning is a mixture of science and art. It encompasses many different disciplines and brings them all under a single umbrella. The simplest definition of urban planning is that it is the organization of all elements of a town or other urban environment. However, when one thinks about all the elements that make up a town, urban planning suddenly seems complicated - and it is.
Via answers.com:
An attempt to manage the city, often in order to avoid, or alleviate, common urban problems such as inner city decay, overcrowding, traffic and other forms of congestion.
While all three definitions make some sense of the profession, judging from the range of articulation, it is clearly a challenge, if not impossible, to break the entire profession down into a brief response.
Usually, just like me, urban planners are so passionate and geeky about their profession that they feel compelled to detail even the mundane aspects of their daily lives—whether it be in city hall, a consulting office, a transit agency, or in a classroom—in a five minute monologue.
We’re everywhere.
At this moment, we are writing master plans, developing maps, working with the public, attending public hearings, doing site visits, and teaching students.
Unlike other professions, we cannot be tied down to one static rubric.
For me, as a consulting planner, a typical day consists of interacting with my clients (public entities, non-profit organizations, and developers), conducting due diligence on development applications, reading (and, at times, writing) master plans and zoning ordinances, and spending at least a half-hour each day on some professional development activity, whether it be reading posts on Cyburbia or Planetizen, or reviewing relevant links from my urban planner friends on Twitter.
But really, no day is truly typical, and that is why the profession is so dynamic.
As we deal with so many moving parts that sometimes clash with each other, everyday presents a new challenge. To retain sharpness, planners must constantly refine their skills and be prepared to put out fires.
It’s no nine to five job.
My mind is perpetually engaged with urban planning thoughts, whether it be watching my girlfriend’s eyes roll when I criticize a poorly designed development while passing by in the car, or thinking about effective strategies for a controversial planning testimony delivery in front of a land use board—while waiting for a wave on my surfboard.
How do I distill my passion into a one sentence response?
I can’t.
That’s what makes this profession so special; since our skills are so disparate, it cannot be encapsulated concisely. In this instance, brevity is not on the side of the planner.
And, unlike other professions, if a trained urban planner chooses to leave the profession for whatever reason, his/her mind will probably remain engaged in “planning thoughts,” as our workplace is not just at a desk, but it’s on a downtown corner, along a rural highway, and in the middle of suburban sprawl.
Our outlook will always be about creating sustainable places for people. That is one notion that will never escape us.
To end, when asked the classic question, “What do you do?,” here’s my typical response:
“I work with citizens, the government, and professionals to ensure the orderly development of our communities.”
Sure, while it may seem to be a sufficient one sentence response, it does not end there, so please prepare yourself for the five minute monologue.
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