Planners develop strategies and design the communities in which we live, work and play.   Balancing the built and natural environment, community needs, cultural significance, and economic sustainability, planners aim to improve our quality of life and create vibrant communities. 

As well as assessing development proposals and devising policies to guide future development, planners work in areas as diverse as housing, energy, health, education, communications, leisure, tourism and transport.  They create new and revitalise existing public spaces, conserve places of heritage and enhance community value. 

The work planners do is becoming more important as society places greater emphasis on environmental sustainability, liveable communities, high quality urban design and managing urban growth effectively in order to build a nation worth inheriting for future generations.  Planners are at the centre of complex debates about the places in which we live and specialise in areas of planning that include:

• Urban planning
• Regional and rural planning
• Development assessment and land use
• Social and community based planning 
• Urban design
• Environmental planning and natural resources management
• Transport planning
• Heritage and conservation
• Place, project and major events planning

Planners can work in a range of places including: 

• Local, State and Federal Government
• Private consultancy
• Property development
• University research and teaching

As cities and towns continue to grow in terms of size and population, planners are in increasing demand to manage these changes. They frequently work with other professionals such as engineers, architects, building surveyors, economists, developers, politicians, scientists, and environmental scientists. 

Planning is a dynamic and ever changing field, and a vital profession in shaping the communities in which we live.  At present there is a high demand for planners in Australia and the career prospects are excellent for eager and dedicated professionals with an interest in the quality of our built environment.    For more information visit the Planning Institute of Australia web site www.planning.org.au

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