Planning and Community Development address opportunities and problems facing our communities and regions. Planners seek to improve the welfare of people and their environments, ranging from small villages and rural areas to large cities and ecosystems. Essentially, planning concentrates on shaping such environments in response to the needs of their citizens.
Planners engage citizens, political leaders, public agency officials, and representatives of industry, commerce, and non-profit organizations in this shaping process through the application of numerous skills and tools. These range from preparing comprehensive plans and ordinances to negotiating solutions among diverse stakeholders to solve problems or take advantage of opportunities.
Planners are on the front lines of creating and maintaining sustainable communities at the local and regional level.
Common Community Development and Planning Practice Areas
Economic Development Planning
Emergency Preparedness Planning
Environmental Planning
Housing, Social, and Community Development
Land Use Planning
Negotiation and Mediation
Transportation Planning
Career Fields with a Degree in Community Development and Community and Regional Planning
