Town planner
Career outlook for town planner
UK Salary Ranges
Entry-level
£18,000
£18,000
Experienced
£45,000
£45,000
Currently employed in Scotland
2,900
Salary information is provided by the "National Careers Service". "Oxford Economics" supplies job forecasts and employment figures. Due to COVID-19 the jobs market is constantly changing. Some of the information may not reflect the current situation.
What's it like?
You would help to shape the way towns and cities develop and improve the environments people live in. You would balance the demands placed on land by housing, business, transport and leisure with the needs of the community.
You could work in a wide variety of planning areas, for example:
- Transport
- Urban design
- Environmental
- Utilities
- Regeneration
- Conservation
You could specialise in just one type of planning or work for an organisation that operates across several areas. You might work in either the public or private sector.
Your tasks would depend on your role. You might:
- Make plans for creating affordable, energy efficient homes
- Study the impact of new transport schemes
- Plan renewable energy generation sites like wind farms
- Redesign urban spaces to improve safety, reduce traffic and increase the number of green areas
- Develop parks, woodlands and waterways in a sustainable way
- Conserve old buildings, archaeological sites and areas of interest
- Manage waste and work on initiatives like recycling
- Develop planning policies for government at a local and national level
- Make decisions about planning applications
- Advise the public, businesses and land developers on planning policies, rules and regulations
- Enforce planning rules and regulations on building projects
- Organise meetings to listen to ideas and hear concerns about planning proposals from local people
You would use surveying techniques, geographical information systems (GIS) and computer-aided design (CAD) to draw up plans. You would then make recommendations to councils.
Working conditions
Hours
Environment
Travel
UK employment status
Full-time
77%
Part-time
10%
Self employed
13%
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- Listening
- Creative
- Designing
- Resourceful
- Researching
- Sorting
- Developing a plan
- Making decisions
- Negotiating
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Qualifications
You'll need a degree (SCQF Level 9/10) or postgraduate qualification (SCQF Level 11) approved by the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI).
Your accredited degree will allow you to work towards Chartered Membership. The RTPI has more information.
If you have a non-accredited degree in a related subject, you can take an RTPI accredited postgraduate. Related subjects include:
- Architecture
- Surveying
- Geography
- Environmental science
The RTPI offers an alternative route to Chartered Membership which doesn't involve a degree. If you have experience as town planning support staff, you may be eligible for training to grant you Chartered Membership.
To enter a degree (SCQF level 9/10) usually requires National 5 qualifications and a minimum of four Highers or a relevant HNC/HND.
To enter a postgraduate course (SCQF level 11) you will usually require an honours degree in a relevant subject.
Useful subjects
- English (required by most courses)
- Maths (required by most courses)
- Business management
- Economics
- Geography
- Science subejcts
- Technologies subjects