What does a city planner do?
City planner responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real city planner resumes:
- Guide production planning activities ranging from developing and revising production schedules, forecasting trends and customer demand, and managing logistics.
- Utilize planning relate software and GIS applications; and basic statistics and mathematical calculations.
- Direct inbound or outbound logistics operations, such as transportation or warehouse activities, safety performance, or logistics quality management.
- Construct engaging PowerPoint presentations for clients.
City planner skills and personality traits
We calculated that 9% of City Planners are proficient in Planning Commission, GIS, and Regional Planning. They’re also known for soft skills such as Analytical skills, Communication skills, and Leadership skills.
We break down the percentage of City Planners that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Planning Commission, 9%
Facilitate project and plan review discussion at City Council, Historic Preservation Commission and Planning Commission meetings.
- GIS, 7%
Utilized planning related software and GIS applications; and basic statistics and mathematical calculations.
- Regional Planning, 6%
Involved in the urban & regional planning management role.
- City Planning, 6%
Serve as staff to the city Planning & Zoning Board, Board of Zoning Appeals and Architecture Review Board.
- Community Development, 5%
Served as city liaison for, and assisted the redevelopment activities of, CDBG-funded community development corporations and community organizations.
- City Ordinances, 5%
Research city ordinances and propose revisions in conjunction with the city attorney's office and the elected officials.
Common skills that a city planner uses to do their job include "planning commission," "gis," and "regional planning." You can find details on the most important city planner responsibilities below.
Analytical skills. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a city planner to have is analytical skills. Their role and responsibilities require that "urban and regional planners analyze information and data from a variety of sources, such as market research studies, censuses, and environmental impact studies." City planners often use analytical skills in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "analyzed census data for eight city departments and community development strategic plans. "
Communication skills. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling city planner duties is communication skills. The role rewards competence in this skill because "urban and regional planners must be able to communicate clearly and effectively because they interact with colleagues and stakeholders, prepare research reports, give presentations, and meet with a wide variety of audiences, including public officials, interest groups, and community members." According to a city planner resume, here's how city planners can utilize communication skills in their job responsibilities: "presented projects at public hearings, demonstrating solid communication skills. "
Leadership skills. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of city planners is leadership skills. This skill is critical to many everyday city planner duties, as "urban and regional planners must be able to manage projects, which may include overseeing tasks and planning assignments." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "collaborated with leadership and transportation stakeholders to streamline logistics support on ft. Irwin. "
The three companies that hire the most city planners are:
- Citi2 city planners jobs
- Yellow1 city planners jobs
- YRC Freight1 city planners jobs
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Compare different city planners
City planner vs. Urban design consultant
An urban design consultant is in charge of many projects, and so they have to oversee tasks and plan assignments. They are skilled in creating interior design solutions, space planning, sketching, and product selection. They have to analyze information and data gotten from market research studies and censuses. They also have to do presentations and prepare reports.
There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, city planner responsibilities require skills like "planning commission," "regional planning," "city planning," and "city ordinances." Meanwhile a typical urban design consultant has skills in areas such as "sketch," "landscape architecture," "cad," and "adobe photoshop." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.
Urban design consultants really shine in the telecommunication industry with an average salary of $63,199. Comparatively, city planners tend to make the most money in the government industry with an average salary of $61,834.urban design consultants tend to reach higher levels of education than city planners. In fact, urban design consultants are 11.0% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.4% less likely to have a Doctoral Degree.City planner vs. Housing grant analyst
An urban renewal manager has a multitude of roles he/she performs in the organization he/she finds himself in. They conduct detailed economic and statistical analysis of market trends. They also develop initiatives to support pricing, brand positioning, and other marketing communications efforts. They may have to design and develop commercial strategic platforms for development planning. They may also need to hire and train new staff.
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, city planner responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "planning commission," "gis," "regional planning," and "city planning." Meanwhile, a housing grant analyst has duties that require skills in areas such as "provide technical assistance," "grants management," "affordable housing," and "appeals." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
Housing grant analysts earn a lower average salary than city planners. But housing grant analysts earn the highest pay in the education industry, with an average salary of $55,298. Additionally, city planners earn the highest salaries in the government with average pay of $61,834 annually.Average education levels between the two professions vary. Housing grant analysts tend to reach lower levels of education than city planners. In fact, they're 14.8% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.4% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.City planner vs. Urban renewal manager
When it comes to planning an internship, an intern's duties will depend on the directives of supervising staff or a manager. Typically, an intern's responsibilities will revolve around performing clerical tasks such as processing documents, producing reports and presentations, responding to calls and correspondence, and managing schedules. There are also instances where an intern must share ideas and insights, attend meetings, maintain records, update databases, and assist staff in various tasks while under more experienced colleagues' supervision.
There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a city planner is likely to be skilled in "planning commission," "gis," "regional planning," and "city planning," while a typical urban renewal manager is skilled in "salesforce," "crm," "on-time closure," and "saas."
Most urban renewal managers achieve a lower degree level compared to city planners. For example, they're 17.8% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.1% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.City planner vs. Planning internship
Types of city planner
Updated January 8, 2025
