Photo: HiMY SYeD from Toronto, Canada (CC BY 2.0)
Job description
Planners start by defining what problem they're actually solving, whether that's a congested intersection or a whole region's long-term mobility needs, then gather and analyze data to back up their recommendations. A lot of the work involves building computer models and simulations to test how a proposed change might play out, and collaborating with engineers to work through technical design questions. Because these projects affect entire communities, planners also present proposals at public meetings, gathering feedback and working toward consensus before a plan moves forward. It's a desk-based, team-heavy job centered on turning data into decisions other people will live with.
Pros
- High upside earning potential, up to $160k
- Bachelor's degree entry point for work with real, visible community impact
- Almost all of the work is done as part of a team, easing the load of complex projects
Cons
- Employment in this field is projected to shrink over the next decade (-1.7%)
- Requires presenting and defending proposals at public meetings and hearings
- Desk-based, sitting-heavy work analyzing data and building models most of the day
A typical day
The morning is spent inside a travel-demand model, testing what a new bus rapid transit line does to ridership when the headway drops from fifteen minutes to ten. Late morning brings a data dive into cellphone-derived trip patterns showing where people actually travel versus where the routes go. The afternoon is the public side: presenting three corridor alternatives at a community open house and absorbing feedback that ranges from insightful to furious, all of it recorded honestly. The day ends drafting a grant application, because the best plan without funding is a PDF.
Tasks at the job
- Define regional or local transportation planning problems or priorities.
- Participate in public meetings or hearings to explain planning proposals, to gather feedback from those affected by projects, or to achieve consensus on project designs.
- Prepare reports or recommendations on transportation planning.
- Collaborate with engineers to research, analyze, or resolve complex transportation design issues.
- Recommend transportation system improvements or projects, based on economic, population, land-use, or traffic projections.
- Develop computer models to address transportation planning issues.
Workplace & working conditions
Work happens indoors in a climate-controlled setting, and most of the day is spent sitting at a desk.
Almost all of the work is done as part of a team.
Education necessary or common
Bachelor's degree
Common college majors
Licenses & certifications
- AICP (planning certification, later-career)
Career path
Related fields
Courses to take
- AP Human Geography -- how cities move is the discipline's heart
- AP Statistics -- ridership and travel data analysis
- AP US Government -- transportation is public policy
- AP Environmental Science -- transportation and emissions intertwine
- AP Computer Science Principles -- GIS and modeling tools
Clubs, activities & competitions
- Ride and map your region's transit critically -- where does it fail?
- Model UN or civics clubs -- public-process skills
- Geography bee or GIS club
- Youth advisory board for your city if one exists
First steps you can take now
- Redesign one bus route in your town and justify every change
- Learn free GIS basics with QGIS
- Attend a metropolitan planning organization meeting -- they're public
- Read one urban transportation classic or blog deeply for a month
