Planning Specializations

Most planners perform their work in one or more particular fields of specialization within the larger planning profession.

Collaboration with Planners

These specializations represent specific bodies of planning knowledge. Planners from different specializations work together to better the welfare of people and communities. While some planners spend their entire career within one of these specializations, most will move between them or find employment opportunities that combine specializations.

Most Common Specializations

Here are several of the most common specializations within the planning profession:

• Community Development
• Land Use & Code Enforcement
• Transportation Planning
• Environmental/Natural Resources Planning
• Economic Development
• Urban Design
• Planning Management/Finance
• Housing
• Parks & Recreation
• Historic Preservation
• Community Activism/Empowerment