What Do City and Regional Planning Aides Do (including Their Typical Day At Work)

Job Description

City and Regional Planning Aides compile data from various sources, such as maps, reports, and field and file investigations, for use by city planner in making planning studies. They also participate in and support team planning efforts.

Other tasks include:

• Prepare reports, using statistics, charts, and graphs, to illustrate planning studies in areas such as population, land use, or zoning.
• Research, compile, analyze and organize information from maps, reports, investigations, and books for use in reports and special projects.
• Provide and process zoning and project permits and applications.
• Respond to public inquiries and complaints.
• Serve as liaison between planning department and other departments and agencies.
• Inspect sites and review plans for minor development permit applications.

We asked City and Regional Planning Aides how satisfied they are with their job. Here is what they said.

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69% of them said they were satisfied with their job and 65% said they find that their job makes the world a better place or helps to make someone else’s life better.

Typical Day At Work

On a daily basis, City and Regional Planning Aides respond to public inquiries and complaints. They inspect sites and review plans for minor development permit applications.

A typical day for a City and Regional Planning Aide will also include:

• Provide and process zoning and project permits and applications.
• Research, compile, analyze and organize information from maps, reports, investigations, and books for use in reports and special projects.
• Serve as liaison between planning department and other departments and agencies.
• Perform clerical duties such as composing, typing and proofreading documents, scheduling appointments and meetings, handling mail and posting public notices.
• Participate in and support team planning efforts.

We asked some City and Regional Planning Aides a few questions to find out what else does their work day look like. Here is what we found.

	Do you have telephone conversations everyday in this job?	100% said yes
	How important is it to work in a team in this job?	40% said very important
	Do you have group discussions everyday in this job?	90% said yes
	Do you talk or work with customers everyday in this job?	50% said yes
	Do you have to deal with angry customers everyday in this job?	5% said yes
	Do you have to make decisions everyday in this job?	15% said yes

Other responsibilities

Besides their typical day, City and Regional Planning Aides also prepare reports, using statistics, charts, and graphs, to illustrate planning studies in areas such as population, land use, or zoning. They may also research, compile, analyze and organize information from maps, reports, investigations, and books for use in reports and special projects.

On a weekly to monthly basis, City and Regional Planning Aides Serve as liaison between planning department and other departments and agencies. They might also Participate in and support team planning efforts.

In addition, they Conduct interviews, surveys and site inspections concerning factors that affect land usage, such as zoning, traffic flow and housing.

Although specific duties may vary, many of them Prepare, maintain and update files and records, including land use data and statistics.

To some City and Regional Planning Aides, it is also their responsibility to Perform code enforcement tasks.

Working life

Standard 40 hour work week

Regular schedule like a 9 to 5

In a typical work week as a City and Regional Planning Aide, you can expect to work 40 hour work week.

Is this right for me

People who are suitable for this job tends to like following set procedures and routines. They like working with data and details more than with ideas..

They also like work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They like working with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery.

You can read more about these career personality types here.

Explore other careers

http://www.bls.gov/ooh/life-physical-and-social-science/urban-and-regional-planners.htm

https://www.planning.org/

https://www.planning.org/aicp/

http://www.planningaccreditationboard.org/