When planning projects, Planners typically coordinate with public officials, community members, and interest groups to identify community issues and needs. Planners can focus on specialties such as transportation planning, community development planning, environmental planning, hazard mitigation planning, economic development, housing, parks, and recreation, or urban design planning.
Planners identify community needs and create short- and long-term solutions to different topics, such as economic, social, and environmental needs related to growth. Planners utilize multi-disciplinary skills in their projects to ensure the best results. Planners incorporate their knowledge of plan-making, government programs, working with the public, and the interaction between the economy, transportation, and health into their projects.
Planners within the United States can be involved in the American Planning Association, which is a membership organization that helps link planners with the goal of creating better communities. Planners can be found within many different job sectors. Planners can find jobs in the public sector, non-governmental organizations, consulting firms, and real estate development firms.
Specializations pertaining to green building
Planners utilize a wide variety of skills to oversee different projects, work in specialties, and be equipped to enforce strategies to support green building and achieve LEED certification.
- Possible job titles: city planner, town planner, urban planner, regional planner
- Typically a public sector role
- Impact green building through:
- Development review; permitting; creating and implementing local codes and ordinances; and staying informed about economic, legal, environmental, and regulatory issues impacting zoning, codes, and development.
- Work to encourage sustainable and green building development.
- Design, promote, or administer plans or policies affecting considerations for a green community, such as land use, zoning, public utilities, transportation, or community facilities and amenities.
- Evaluate proposals for infrastructure projects or other developments for environmental impact or sustainability.
- Discuss with planning officials the purpose of land use projects, such as transportation, conservation, residential, commercial, industrial or community use.
- Possible job titles: environmental restoration planner; environmental compliance inspector; environmental protection specialist; conservation specialist; environmental analyst
- Typically, a public sector or consulting role
- Impact green building through:
- Analyzing and minimizing impacts of development
- Ensure projects meet environmental regulations or certification standards, including LEED or government standards.
- Analyze and implement state, federal or local requirements as necessary to maintain approved pretreatment, pollution prevention, stormwater runoff programs, and waste/hazardous waste disposal and management.
- Monitor projects during or after construction to ensure projects conform to design specifications.
- Provide technical direction on environmental planning to other architecture, engineering, design and energy professionals.
Transportation or transit planner
- Typically, a public sector or consulting role
- Impact green building through:
- Analyze information related to transportation, such as land use policies, environmental impact of projects, or long-range planning needs to minimize negative environmental and community impacts.
- Prepare studies for proposed transportation projects; study the use and operation of transportation systems; develop transportation models or simulations.
- Define regional or local transportation problems or priorities; Collaborate with other professionals to develop sustainable transportation strategies at the local, regional, or national level.
- Specific to LEED project teams, transportation planners:
- Help develop a project site plan and circulation.
- Promote multimodal access and alternative transportation.
- Reduce parking footprint.
- Possible job titles: environmental economist; natural resource economist
- Typically, a public sector or consulting role
- Impact green building through:
- Conduct economic analysis and research related to environmental protection and use of the natural environment, such as water, air, land, and renewable energy resources.
- Analyze the economic impacts of development, demonstrating and promoting the economic benefits of sound environmental regulations.
- Evaluate and quantify [environmental] benefits, costs, incentives, and impacts of alternative options.
- Can influence regulations, programs or plans that promote green building.