• Find a career in urban planning and development.Skyscraper image by Snezana Skundric from Fotolia.com
  
  As an urban planner, you'll find yourself immersed in such issues as land use and growth, population trends and asset allocation as you analyze, predict, and ultimately try to plan growth in and around city centers. If you are looking for a career in urban development, you can work for the government or private firms in civil engineering, architecture or sociology. U.S. News and World Report reported urban planning as one of the fastest growing careers in 2009, and the average salary for urban developers is around $62,000, with a high range of $82,000.
  
  

Government Urban Planner

• Many urban planners work for the government, whether at the local, state or federal level. Government jobs in urban development and planning might focus on such issues as redeveloping rundown or blighted neighborhoods or sections; parceling land use for commercial, residential or industrial uses; plans for housing; and major urban revitalization projects such as adding new shopping, sports and entertainment development. Those in urban planning and development positions also deal with the public and may be involved in public hearings on land use and new urban development, deal with contractors and builders to make sure they are building to specific government zoning codes and must find a way to balance the special interests of politicians and private companies.
  
  

Private Sector Planner

• Unlike government urban planners, those working in the private sector enjoy more freedom in their jobs and have the ability to pick and choose projects based on interests or specialties. Urban planners could do work for private consulting firms, architectural firms or civil engineering companies. Municipalities also sometimes hire urban planning consultants as technical advisers in areas such as civil engineering or architecture. These types of urban planners might also have to handle negotiations in land use and development with politicians and other government groups.
  
  

Transportation Planner

• A specialty in urban planning is transportation planning. Planners in transportation deal with such issues as how to develop mass transit systems, how to control traffic congestion, air pollution and the effects of population growth or loss on an area. Urban planners in this area might have a background in engineering or architecture, but are also interested in how transportation systems, such as new highways, train lines or subway systems, will have an impact on urban areas. Transportation planners might also be sensitive to, for example, saving historical landmarks or preserving important ecological areas. Transportation specialists could work for both public and private sector companies.