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Urban planning is a diverse field. How do you choose the role best suited to your personality type? Here are some job titles and the character types best suited to these roles.
Development Assessment/Development Control Planner
You like to tell people “no” in the politest possible way. Being anal retentive is considered a strength in this job. Clashing with developers is a favourite past-time, while local residents who complain about neighbouring developments are the bane of your life. Why can’t people just read the plan you moan. Why? Because if they did, you might be out of a job!
Policy/Strategic Planner
You enjoy looking at the big picture and have limited interest in detail. You must be patient and always have the long view in mind. Special interests include: community consultation, drafting legislative instruments, word-smith and negotiator extraordinaire. However don’t be too disappointed when your good intentions are strangled by bureaucracy, self-important politicians and well-meaning community members!
Project Manager
You are a control freak and want to be in charge of everything. Unfortunately this means you never get a chance to get into the technical detail because you spend most of your time overseeing others, dealing with contracts, Gantt charts and meetings, meetings and more meetings!
Urban Designer
Ideally you have a long winded name that sounds both impressive and creative. You prefer to walk around with your head in the clouds dreaming of fantastical utopian cities. Occasionally you are brought down to earth with a rude shock when your ideas are questioned or fail to reach actualisation….but at least you can dream!
Environmental Planner
Your primary concern is the natural environment, the words flora and fauna are music to your ears. From your perspective, the less buildings damaging the habitat of endangered species the better!
Planning Consultant
You enjoy last minute dashes to the tender box, all-nighters and schmoozing. Armed with wads of business cards, CVs and detailed submissions – you must be smarter than the rest, because by gosh you work harder!