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Urban and Regional Planners

SOC 19-3051.00Job Zone 5 · Extensive Preparation

Develop comprehensive plans and programs for use of land and physical facilities of jurisdictions, such as towns, cities, counties, and metropolitan areas.

Context coveredMunicipal and county planning, regional planning organizations, private consulting, transportation and environmental planning, zoning and entitlements, community engagement.

Sources:O*NET v30.2O*NET Resource Center — Occupational Information Network, v30.2 (Sept 2025). Opens in new tab.SkillsCrosswalkSkillsCrosswalk — O*NET enrichment + adjacency index. Opens in new tab.
Emerging
Entry / Apprentice
  1. Standard zoning and land-use ordinances — read and apply to assigned cases under a senior planner's review.
  2. GIS basics and parcel data — produce maps and summaries from a city or county dataset.
  3. Site plans and development applications — review for completeness against the local checklist.
  4. Public-meeting notices and packet preparation — produce to the jurisdiction's deadline.
  5. Census and ACS data — retrieve, clean, and present for assigned briefs.
  6. Field reconnaissance and parcel walks — conduct safely and document for staff review.
  7. Planning-staff reports on routine cases — draft to the office's template under supervision.
  8. Community-engagement events — staff and capture notes for senior facilitators.
  9. Zoning code amendments — redline against the jurisdiction's drafting conventions.
  10. Comprehensive-plan documents — read and summarize for incoming briefings.
Developing
Mid-level / Established
  1. Independent case review on routine applications — manage from intake through staff recommendation.
  2. Public hearings and planning-commission appearances — staff with prepared analysis and presentations.
  3. Sub-area, corridor, or neighborhood plans — contribute substantively under a senior planner's lead.
  4. Project management for $50K–$500K consulting or grant engagements — manage at task level.
  5. Environmental review (NEPA, SEPA, local CEQA) — prepare or contribute to documents.
  6. Transportation impact analyses and mode-share studies — contribute with engineering partners.
  7. Stakeholder interviews and public-engagement design — lead for routine projects.
  8. Junior planners, interns, and AICP candidates — train on case management and report writing.
  9. Zoning- and development-code amendments — author for council adoption under supervision.
  10. Equity-and-affordability analyses — produce with appropriate datasets and methodology.
Proficient
Senior / Expert IC
  1. Comprehensive plans, climate action plans, and major area plans — lead through adoption and implementation.
  2. Multi-disciplinary project teams (engineering, environmental, public health) — lead with budget and schedule control.
  3. Complex entitlements and PUDs — negotiate independently with developers, council, and the public.
  4. Public-engagement strategies (equity-centered, multi-lingual, hybrid) — design and execute on signature projects.
  5. Departmental policies and procedures — author and steward through internal change.
  6. Council and commission deliberations — staff with confident technical and policy recommendations.
  7. Junior planners and senior associates — supervise across a small team.
  8. Funded grants (FHWA, EDA, HUD) — win and steward at PI level.
  9. Conferences and professional communities (APA, ULI) — contribute through panels and writing.
  10. Audits and program evaluations — lead with credible methodology and defensible findings.
Advanced
Lead / Principal / Executive
  1. Planning director or principal-in-charge leadership — set direction across staff, projects, and council relationships.
  2. Regional and state policy initiatives — lead with elected officials, agencies, and coalitions.
  3. Major capital and growth-management decisions — advise executives and councils with rigorous tradeoff analysis.
  4. Talent development and AICP pipeline — own succession, mentorship, and certification across the office.
  5. Public-engagement standards — institutionalize across the department and partner agencies.
  6. Equity and climate policy — advance through coalitions and statewide initiatives.
  7. Standards bodies (APA, AICP, ULI) — contribute through committee and board leadership.
  8. Cross-jurisdictional negotiations — lead on housing, transportation, and resource sharing.
  9. Workforce-of-the-future planning practice — redefine through hiring, training, and tooling.
  10. Legacy mentorship and field-shaping standards — institutionalize through accredited training and credentialing.

AI-at-Work Competency Framework

Sources:Anthropic Economic IndexAnthropic Economic Index — release_2026_03_24. Opens in new tab.Jadhav & Danve, 2026Skill Automation Feasibility Index — Jadhav & Danve, 2026 (arXiv:2604.06906). Opens in new tab.WEF Skills TaxonomyWEF Skills Taxonomy 2021 — Building a Common Language for Skills at Work. Opens in new tab.

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Sources:Pathsmith™ Durable SkillsPathsmith™ Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab.O*NET v30.2O*NET Resource Center — Occupational Information Network, v30.2 (Sept 2025). Opens in new tab.
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O*NET enrichment · skillscrosswalk.com

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Source anchors that ground each statement

Related titles
Campus Planner · City Designer · City Planner · City Planning Engineer · Community Development Planner · Community Development Technician · Community Planner · Community Planning Technician · Developer Advocate · Development Technician · Economic Developer · Economic Development Coordinator
RAPIDS apprenticeships
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O*NET skills
Active ListeningSpeakingJudgment and Decision MakingSystems AnalysisCritical ThinkingReading ComprehensionWritingComplex Problem SolvingSystems EvaluationSocial PerceptivenessNegotiationTime ManagementCoordinationService OrientationActive LearningPersuasionOperations AnalysisMathematicsLearning StrategiesMonitoringInstructingManagement of Personnel Resources
Knowledge domains
Law and GovernmentEnglish LanguageGeographyTransportationCommunications and MediaAdministration and ManagementSociology and AnthropologyCustomer and Personal ServiceComputers and Electronics
Abilities
Oral ComprehensionOral ExpressionSpeech ClarityProblem SensitivityWritten ExpressionWritten ComprehensionDeductive ReasoningInductive ReasoningNear VisionSpeech Recognition
Work styles
DependabilityCooperationIntegrityIntellectual CuriosityAttention to DetailAdaptability
Technology
Computer aided design CAD softwareEnterprise resource planning ERP softwareCompliance softwareDocument management softwareGraphics or photo imaging softwareWeb page creation and editing softwareDesktop publishing softwareAnalytical or scientific softwareOffice suite softwareMap creation software
Tasks · seed anchors for statements
  1. Design, promote, or administer government plans or policies affecting land use, zoning, public utilities, community facilities, housing, or transportation.
  2. Advise planning officials on project feasibility, cost-effectiveness, regulatory conformance, or possible alternatives.
  3. Create, prepare, or requisition graphic or narrative reports on land use data, including land area maps overlaid with geographic variables, such as population density.
  4. Hold public meetings with government officials, social scientists, lawyers, developers, the public, or special interest groups to formulate, develop, or address issues regarding land use or community plans.
  5. Mediate community disputes or assist in developing alternative plans or recommendations for programs or projects.
  6. Recommend approval, denial, or conditional approval of proposals.
  7. Conduct field investigations, surveys, impact studies, or other research to compile and analyze data on economic, social, regulatory, or physical factors affecting land use.
  8. Evaluate proposals for infrastructure projects or other development for environmental impact or sustainability.
CIP education codes
04.030104.040304.100130.330130.370144.040345.1201

Sources: O*NET v30.2 (CC BY 4.0), SkillsCrosswalk.com, LER.me®, Anthropic Economic Index, SAFI (Jadhav & Danve, 2026), WEF Skills Taxonomy 2021, Pathsmith™ Durable Skills Framework. © 2026 EBSCOed.