depends on country...
#How Do I Become an Urban Planner?
remote bronze
slim egret
normally you get a degree in it or something related, like geography, but like bolt said, the rest changes by country
I'm saying this as a student though
stone flower
It does depend on the country and state (like Max said), but generally you need a bachelor degree in Planning. I will say that more and more places are requiring a Masters. I would also recommend getting an internship with a local jurisdiction or developer/organization because that will give you a taste of the work we do.
slim egret
also, be sure to get involved in the local community, and attend stuff like community board meetings, or public hearings for projects. If you go to them with open minds and engage with other people there, you can already get involved in the planning process in a small way
also, if you get involved in planning anything in the future, it's better to seem supportive of the community than like an outsider coming in to change things up
shut hound
What Country? Its usually a Uni degree tho
somber whale
If you’re in the US you could join the APA (American Planning Association), they have job posts and a national convention that they host annually
stone flower
And if you are a student, the US APA has a student chapter that you could join for more exposure with other aspiring planners
cobalt sundial
sorry if I am late to the party, the University of Waterloo offers one of the best urban planning programs in Canada, plus UW also has the best COOP programs making it highly competitive in the job market
fair night
I got a b.s. in urban and regional planning, I also was doing a gis certificate and working as a student research assistant with the gis center. Half a year after graduating multiple positions opened up with the city that I studied in and was hired in as a zoning specific planner 1 (at a time where there is a lack of planners in my area)
shut hound
Anyone know anything about city planning qualifications in the UK?
stone flower
It could be position and title dependant, similar to the US and Canada. You could take a look at the Royal Town Planning Institute for some direction. It looks like they are the primary professional organization for for planners throughout the UK.
shut hound
Oh ok thanks I will check it out
unborn crow
In the United States what degrees do employers want city planners to ideally have?
somber whale
A degree from an accredited city planning program at a college (the degree name is usually called masters/bachelors in city-regional planning)
However, I don’t think degrees are the only thing employers would consider
While I’m not a real city planner (yet) I think internships would be another thing employers might look for on an applicant
But a masters or bachelors int he field would be the most helpful when finding a job in city planning
fair night
iirc from my previous job search
typically a bachelors is a requirement for planner 1 or equivalent positions, though sometimes a bachelors and 1 year of work experience is required (they may or may not count internships/large projects)
typically a bachelors and work experience is a requirement for planner 2 equivalent positions with a masters preferred, sometimes its required. additional certification may be needed once you are hired.
The degrees listed for a (zoning) planner 2 position i saw recently were "public administration, urban planning, regional planning, urban development, architecture, urban studies, urban design"