Back to Career Search |
Planning Technician |
|
|||||||||||||||||||
Description Have you ever thought about why cities are built around lakes or rivers? Or why streets are often laid out in grids? Cities do not just form naturally but are well planned out designs by experts. Planning technicians assist urban planners in the design and coordination of land-use changes, civic design and urban renewal. They use technical knowledge to help plan urban and suburban centers. Planning technicians work under the guidance of urban planners to build and maintain spatial databases, plan and design land development projects within a community context and prepare graphic presentations. They serve as the link between urban planners and civil engineers because their work focuses on planning effective land use along with improving our existing infrastructure problems in relation to urban sprawl. Technicians adopt mathematical and engineering principles in order to solve various technical planning problems in the areas of research and development, manufacturing, inspection and maintenance. Some technicians suggest locations for particular planning projects, while others survey land-sites, prepare sketches and computer drawings or monitor instruments used in different research studies. Planning technicians usually focus the majority of their work on the research, development and planning stages. They conduct studies in laboratories and also go on location for field inspections of proposed sites. Based on their research, they can determine whether or not a proposed zoning project is a good idea and recommend a project be terminated if it appears that it may damage the town or the region in some way. Their primary interest in planning is to help a community, not detract from it. Therefore, if a shopping mall in an historic neighborhood would jump-start the economy, but destroy its natural beauty and style, planning technicians may recommend stopping the project. These recommendations also establish guidelines for future developments and community preservation. For instance, they could recommend that no major developers be granted permission to build in an ecologically fragile region or that buildings cannot surpass a certain height. Planning technicians use computer-aided design (CAD) to create three-dimensional drawings. They also respond to zoning enquiries, write planning proposals, prepare public notices on planning matters, while complying with legislative by-laws. They usually specialize in a type of development area such as commercial buildings or suburban neighborhoods or natural zones such as parks and mountains. They are required to keep up to date about new ideas and changes in planning legislation, design standards and zoning regulations. |
|
![]() Average Earnings |
|||
| |||
![]() Interests and Skills |
|||
| |||
![]() Typical Tasks |
|||
| |||
![]() Workplaces, Employers and Industries |
|||
| |||
![]() Long Term Career Potential |
|||
| |||
![]() Educational Paths |
|||
|
Sources:
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2014-15 Edition, http://www.bls.gov/ooh/ Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Employment Statistics, 2002, http://www.bls.gov/oes/2002/oes_nat.htm |
Featured Schools |
|
Agriculture and Bio-resources | Allied Health and Health Sciences | Applied Business Technology | Architecture Business Administration | Computer Science | Cosmetology and Esthetics | Culinary, Travel &Hospitality | Dance Engineering Technology & Applied Technology |Engineering | Film | Fine Arts and Design | Humanities and Liberal ArtsJustice and Security Music | Natural and Applied Sciences | Naturopathic and Holistic MedicineNursingPublic Administration & PolicyReligious and Theological Studies Sport Sciences and Physical Education | Teacher Education | Theatre |
|
Articles |
College News |
Videos |
Feedback |
Career Search
Home | About Us | Contact Us | Faq | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Site Map | Cities Site Map |
|
Copyright 2003- 2019 QuinStreet, Inc. All Rights Reserved. |