Planners guide and manage the way suburbs, cities and regions are built, making sure they are sustainable and pleasant places in which to live, work and play. Planners are involved in making decisions about the way land is used and other types of developments while balancing the needs of communities and the environment.

What planners do

They are responsible for a range of tasks including:

• shaping the form of neighbourhoods and cities;
• controlling the spread of urban regions;
• ensuring sustainable natural environments;
• working towards economic and cultural development;
• ensuring vibrant and liveable communities; and
• providing advice on planning matters to the public and stakeholders.

The role of planners is becoming more important as society places greater emphasis on balancing environmental and development issues, promoting liveable communities and securing high quality urban design. As cities and towns continue to grow, planners are in increasing demand to manage these changes.

Areas of speciality

Planners specialise in many areas including:

• regional and rural planning;
• social planning;
• urban design;
• environmental planning and law;
• transport planning;
• natural resources management;
• heritage conservation;
• development assessment;
• community development; and
• place, project and major events planning.

Who planners work with

Planners work in a range of places and fields, including ACT Government at the ACT Planning and Land Authority. They frequently work alongside engineers, architects, building surveyors, economists, developers, politicians, scientists and environmental scientists.

Becoming a planner

Local courses

Currently, the ACT does not have an undergraduate university planning degree. However, there are many related academic pathways available in the ACT that lead to a career in planning. The Australian National University, University of Canberra and Canberra Institute of Technology all offer related courses. These include courses in engineering, environmental science, economics, law, architecture, landscape architecture, architectural drafting, building, building design, plumbing, drainage, horticulture, urban irrigation, computer-aided drawing, and spatial information.

Interstate courses

There are several planning degrees available from various interstate institutions. These include undegraduate degrees in planning, town planning and urban and regional planning. Graduate and masters degrees include those in urban and regional planning.