Regional planners design, research, evaluate, and implement long and short-term infrastructure and land use plans. They gather and analyze geographic information to manage population demands, future growth, and revitalize areas. They work for local governments or the private sector and can focus on urban or rural areas. Smart growth theory advocates for compact urban areas to reduce traffic congestion, environmental problems, and urban decay.
A regional planner’s job usually involves designing, researching, evaluating and implementing various types of long-term and short-term infrastructure and land use plans in a specific geographic area. This work may involve deciding where new roads are built, how many new schools are needed in a community, and recommending environmental policies to apply for regional development. A regional planner gathers and analyzes geographic information, combining it with other information such as population density, zoning regulations and how land is currently being used. This collected information is used to create ways to deal with and manage current population demands, future growth or how to revitalize an area that is not showing growth. Often a regional planner works for local governments, but it is also possible to work for the private sector.
The work of a regional planner can involve many different parts of the planning process. Some regional planners collect and analyze information, often using physical maps and geographic information systems (GIS). Regional planners can also work on using this collected information to develop various types of plans for development. In other cases, a regional planner reviews and evaluates development proposals in a community. Often, regional planning involves making projections of changes in population density and population movement, and then providing the infrastructure and facilities for this future population.
The size and type of geographic area in which the regional planner works can vary. A regional planner is often called an urban planner or town planner if their work primarily involves urban planning and urban design. Town and city planning can involve facilities and infrastructure such as hospitals, public housing and recreational facilities. Regional planning can also involve non-urban areas. This work could focus on revitalizing rural areas, protecting certain areas for environmental reasons and suggesting that land should be zoned for different types of agricultural, commercial and industrial use. A regional planner may also be involved in the development of roads, bridges and other transportation needs in both urban and rural areas.
A popular theory of urban planning and urban design is called smart growth. Smart growth focuses on avoiding suburban sprawl and the use of private vehicles, instead designing and developing more compact urban areas where residents can walk, cycle or use public transport to go to school, work, shops and recreation. Some regional planners and local politicians advocate smart growth as a way to avoid or reduce traffic congestion, environmental problems and urban decay.
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