Town planner
Help shape the environments that people live in. You'll play a key role in developing healthy, pleasant towns and cities.
Also known as: urban designer, spatial planner, planning officer
About the job
What it's like
Town planning is about making places for people.
You'll help shape the way towns and cities develop and improve the environments people live in. You'll balance the demands placed on land by housing, business, transport and leisure with the needs of the community.
You could specialise in just one type of planning, such as transport or urban design, or work in several areas. You might be in the public or private sector.
Your tasks would depend on your role and could include:
planning affordable, energy-efficient homes
redesigning urban spaces to improve safety, reduce traffic and increase the number of green areas
developing parks, woodlands and waterways in a sustainable way
conserving old buildings, archaeological sites and areas of interest
developing planning policies for local and national government
advising the public, businesses and land developers on planning policies, rules and regulations
You'll use surveying techniques, geographical information systems (GIS) and computer-aided design (CAD) to draw up plans. You'll then make recommendations to councils or businesses.
Green job
In this job you'll be doing work to help the environment. Find out more about green jobs.
Hours
You'll usually work from Monday to Friday. You may have to work outside of your normal hours to attend events such as public meetings. Part-time and flexible hours may be available.
Environment
You'll mostly work in a planning office, using computer software to help develop towns and cities. You could also work in clients' offices or on sites. You may meet local communities in public spaces, to understand how changes will affect them.
Travel
You may travel to client meetings and visit sites.
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Related industries
Many jobs can be done in lots of different industries. We've highlighted the ones we think are most important for this job.
Transport Construction and built environment
Top skills
Skills are things you're good at. Whether you know what yours are or not, everyone has them!
It's useful to learn which ones are important in a job so you know the areas you need to brush up on. It can also help you work out if you're suited to a career.
Top specialised skills
These are the top specialised skills that have been found in job vacancies across Scotland. From April 2024 to April 2025.
- planning permission
- appeals
- environmental impact assessments
- site assessment
- development management
- urban planning
- land-use planning
- land use
- instructor-led training
- rural development
Meta skills
Here are some of the meta skills you'll need to do this job.
- negotiating
- making decisions
- developing a plan
- sorting
- researching
- resourceful
- designing
- creative
- listening
Your skills are important
Our unique skillsets are what make us stand out from the crowd. Learn about each skill in depth and discover what employers look for in your applications and interviews.
Getting in
Explore each section to find more information about getting into this career.
Colleges and universities will list subjects you'll need for entry to a course. Some useful subjects include:
Foundation Apprenticeship: Construction
Environmental Science
Geography
History
People and Society
You can get a head start in this career by doing a Foundation Apprenticeship in S5 and S6.
You'll get an SCQF level 6 qualification which is the same level as a Higher. You'll also learn new skills and gain valuable experience in a work environment.
Discover what's on offer at your school on Apprenticeships.scot.
You'll need a degree (SCQF Level 9/10) or postgraduate qualification (SCQF Level 11) approved by the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI). Your accredited degree will allow you to work towards Chartered Membership.
If you have a non-accredited degree in a related subject, you can take an RTPI-accredited postgraduate. Relevant subjects include:
Architecture or Landscape Architecture
Geography
Law
Economics
Environmental studies
Politics
Social studies
Design
Find information on the RTPI website about studying planning at university
The RTPI also offers an alternative route to Chartered Membership which doesn't involve a degree, if you have experience as town planning support staff. Find more information on the RTPI website.
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