A Blueprint for Your Future in Urban Planning

How can I make a living doing something fulfilling? This is one of those questions that we all ask ourselves at one point or the next. This weekly column explores different college degrees as a way to help you investigate different educational paths, which will hopefully lead to fulfilling careers. This week, we're going to take a look at earning a degree in city and regional planning.

City and Regional Planning is a Growing Field

As anyone who lives in L.A. or Houston can tell you, living in a sprawling city can be a drag. These two cities seemingly never end, and the crowded expressways and strip malls all seem to blend into one another.

In these cities, it's almost impossible to get around without a car, meaning that city dwellers often find it difficult to enjoy an impromptu stroll through the park or an afternoon spent window shopping without entering a traffic jungle.

Unfortunately, as these two huge cities were developing, no one put much thought into city planning. These days, as a result of the negative impact associated with urban sprawl, people are focusing much more on city and regional planning. The demand for urban planning consultants who help cities make smart zoning decisions has grown by leaps and bounds.

Urban Planning Degrees - Learn how to Make the World a Better Place

If you want to make cities more livable, you'll need an urban planning degree. While earning this degree, you'll study some of the great cities of the world and discover why people love them. You'll learn how city zoning combinations affect cities, and how to build a system of roads that minimizes traffic and still emphasizes a feeling of community.

Regional Planning - A Job That is Good for Your Heart

City planning is one of the few careers that has a direct impact on many people. The work you do to help a city plan for its future could increase the quality of life for thousands of people. Jobs like these come with a lot of responsibility, but the rewards are immeasurable. If you think are up for the task, then start looking into different urban planning schools to see which one may be right for you.

About the author
Kirk Bangstad is an artist manager and singer working in Chicago, IL. His previous experience includes consulting for technology companies in the Silicon Valley and serving as a field director and publicist for a statewide political campaign. Kirk holds a B.A. in government from Harvard University.