Eli5: What is an urban planner? What do they do? Are they like architects?
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Retired urban planner and professor of urban planning here!
Architects are typically hired by the other of a piece of property to design a building for that site. Planners are concerned with the whole neighborhood, city, or even region. Here is the definition of urban planning that I use in my class: “Planners use the tools of public policy and design to create communities where all people can thrive. Planners work with government officials, business leaders, and citizens. It is a collaborative field. Planners help thriving communities adjust to the demands of growth and work to reverse the decline of distressed communities.”
What does that mean? Planners use regulations like zoning and building design standards to guide the way that cities grow and develop. We write grants to bring in money to solve problems in a community like building a community center or cleaning up a contaminated property. We work with the community to prepare plans so that government officials have a blueprint for where to invest and what type of development to allow.
We can get involved in quite a bit more, but that gives you an overview.
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