Civil services planning industry

Industry Snapshot

GENERAL INDUSTRY: Government and Public Administration

CAREER CLUSTER: Government and Public Administration Occupations

SUBCATEGORY INDUSTRIES: County Development Agencies; Government Community Development Agencies; Government Housing Programs, Planning, and Development; Government Land Redevelopment Agencies; Government Rural Development Administration; Government Urban Planning Administration; Regional Planning and Development Program Administration; Zoning Boards and Commissions

RELATED INDUSTRIES: Building Architecture Industry; Building Construction Industry; Federal Public Administration; Landscaping Services; Local Public Administration

ANNUAL DOMESTIC REVENUES: Federal expenditures on community planning and development: $3.4 billion (U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, 2020)

NAICS NUMBER: 9251

Summary

Civil planning services, also referred to as governmental community planning and development agencies, help determine how land and its resources are developed and managed in urban, suburban, and rural communities. Planning and development agencies exist at the local, county, state, and federal levels of government. Governmental entities do not earn revenues as for-profit businesses do. Instead, they are funded primarily by taxes, fees, and intergovernmental transfers, including federal grants to state and local governments. Civil planning agencies employ thousands of people, who work in such areas as urban planning, civil engineering, geology, demographics, and related disciplines.

History of the Industry

The earliest urban plans in the United States were created for the cities of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (1682); Annapolis, Maryland (1695); Williamsburg, Virginia (1699); and Savannah, Georgia (1733). In 1791, Pierre L’Enfant designed the plan for Washington, D.C., in the classic European Baroque tradition, employing such features as diagonal and radial avenues that provided grand views of monuments and civic buildings. These early city plans were singular efforts and did not take into account future growth and other changes.

The Industrial Revolution began in England, and after the United States achieved independence, it spread to the new nation and began to influence the growth of commerce and new businesses. Agricultural production increased, and millions of European peasants were displaced from their former farming jobs and needed to find new sources of employment. This pool of displaced laborers first moved to European cities in the eighteenth century, creating the industrial labor force that made the Industrial Revolution possible. During the nineteenth century, still more expropriated rural dwellers needed to find work. About 70 million of them left Europe, and about half of those migrants traveled to the United States, creating in that country a potential industrial labor force such as the one that had already transformed England.

The sudden increase in the U.S. population greatly affected the supply of available housing. Services such as clean water, trash collection, and sewage proved to be incapable of handling such rapid growth, and soon outbreaks of cholera, typhoid, and yellow fever occurred. As a result, initial urban reforms in the United States were primarily aimed at disease prevention.

Additional efforts at reform led to various planning movements, including the park movement and the City Beautiful movement. Other reform efforts, along with campaigns for housing regulations, attempted to improve public health by expanding and maintaining clean water supplies and improving sewage methods. Progressive-era reformers believed that an increase in governmental control would help alleviate the conditions resulting from unbridled growth, and they helped raise public concern to address the issues of overcrowding, poverty, and political corruption.

Modern city planning was largely inspired by the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893, which commemorated the four hundredth anniversary of Christopher Columbus’s arrival to the New World in 1492. Designed principally by Daniel Burnham and Frederick Law Olmsted, the exhibition was a prototype for the ideal city. Featured at the fair were nearly two hundred buildings of classical design, which thereafter greatly influenced architecture, the arts, and the emerging industrial optimism.

In 1916, New York City adopted the first zoning ordinance. This ordinance regulated land use and building locations, but its primary objective was to protect private property values. In 1926, the U.S. Supreme Court confirmed the legality of zoning, and by the late 1920s zoning regulations had been developed to meet the needs of most local areas.

The Great Depression of the 1930s required the direct involvement of the federal government. Through the Works Progress Administration (WPA), over a hundred urban planning studies across the nation were funded for the purpose of constructing public buildings and roads. These projects employed millions of workers. During this time, city and county planning departments were being created to replace what had been independent citizen planning commissions. Planning studies began to include economic and social components in addition to physical design elements, bringing a more holistic approach to urban planning.

After World War II, the GI Bill (officially, the Servicemen’s Readjustment Act of 1944) provided loans to returning veterans to help them purchase or develop education, homes, farms, and businesses. Using these funds, many veterans bought newly built homes in suburban communities that were being developed throughout the country. Developers applied the principles of mass production to housing and created thousands of nearly identical houses on moderately sized lots. Such developments can still be found throughout the country.

Suburban areas continued to grow, attracting sizable populations of potential laborers. Corporations soon followed these workers into the suburbs. Office complexes, corporate campuses, warehouses, light industry, and other businesses continue to push the suburban boundaries ever outward. As the United States continues to develop, urban planners will be called upon to help solve the challenges of constructing adequate streets, sewers, water systems, schools, and utilities, while keeping in mind environmental concerns and design features that will maintain property values.

The Industry Today

Today, civil planning and development officials formulate strategies to meet the present and future needs of urban and rural areas, as identified through technical analysis and public commentary. Planners forecast five, twenty, and even fifty years into the future to anticipate the specific requirements of particular communities, and then they design and plan accordingly. Such plans typically include fundamental infrastructure such as roads and highways, transportation systems and facilities, and water and sewage systems, as well as schools, affordable housing, energy availability, anticipated population changes and composition, economic health, environmental considerations, and relevant cultural and political issues.

The three major levels of civil planning are federal, state, and local. The focus of planning at each level has distinguishing differences. There are also areas where the responsibilities, goals, and activities of different levels of government may overlap.

According to a statement released by the Barack Obama administration, that administration’s domestic policies are based on the principle that “strong cities are the building blocks of strong regions, which in turn are essential for a strong America.” A fundamental building block of a healthy economy is an efficient road system. Planning done under the umbrella of the federal government must take a system-wide approach, as it generally results in projects of a larger magnitude than those developed at the state or local level. For example, building, maintaining, or improving the national highway system, which passes through various cities and states, requires specific design and construction methods to be followed as relates to earthwork, bases, surfacing, pavements, and traffic control devices.

Planners working at the federal level face a number of demanding challenges coming from different areas of the country that require different alternatives. For example, administering public housing in New York, which is largely subsidized by federal funds, requires an understanding of how federal housing policies have changed in ways that may not match the needs of those being served. Planning for the protection of life and property is also done by the federal government. After Hurricane Katrina, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers repaired and restored 220 miles of floodwalls and levees to provide flood protection infrastructure to a one-hundred-year protection level. Other challenges imposed by natural occurrences such as flooding, tornadoes, and earthquakes also require planning, engineering, and construction that will help prevent or mitigate future loss of life or property damage.

Other national necessities that require federal planning include revitalizing abandoned and decaying industrial areas; building, or promoting access to, affordable housing; and repairing and replacing worn infrastructure, such as railways, highways, bridges, and airports. Additionally, rural communities require development activities such as constructing and renovating rural water and wastewater systems, issuing low-income housing loans, and instituting rural business programs.

Because of the wide variety of geographical topography and seasonal changes throughout the United States, civil planning differs from one state to another. For example, in western states, which tend to be drier, planning, design, and engineering may have more to do with the acquisition and delivery of water and water services than they do in states with higher levels of rainfall. States with abandoned industrial areas require planning, design, and engineering agencies to redevelop those areas to provide new economic and environmental benefits.

Other factors that may influence civil planning at the state level include population density, workforce distribution, housing distribution, and business and economic conditions, as well as demographic data such as a community’s average age, income level, and educational attainment level. Taking such factors into consideration, state civil planning programs may design, engineer, and construct highways, bridges, ports, state buildings, and state facilities such as hospitals, universities, libraries, and prisons, as well as housing and urban development and redevelopment. Since each state’s planning needs differ, there is no universal or standard urban or regional planning design. However, states with common issues often belong to planning associations or groups that facilitate sharing ideas and problem-solving techniques.

The majority of civil planning takes place at the local level, where the decisions made reflect the needs and values of each community. Every community has its own unique identity and character. Consequently, to address a given city’s issues of concern, tailor-made plans and designs are required. Before any plan can be developed, data on the city must be collected, analyzed, and studied, so predictions or forecasts can be developed to guide the city in establishing its own specific urban planning and development policies.

To address and analyze adequately issues of concern, local communities utilize a collaborative planning method that encourages citizen participation during all stages of the process. Such involvement allows citizens to inform planners of public needs and preferences. Incorporating that information helps planners achieve better outcomes. Local plans are created after thorough studies have been completed to assess existing structures and forecast future needs. Comprehensive reports are then prepared that include information on a city’s developmental capacity to meet identified needs, such as streets, highways, airports, water, sewage, utility lines, schools, libraries, and cultural and recreational sites.

Planners are trained to take a holistic approach, viewing individual elements, such as housing, social needs, land use, and economic development, as a single picture. To effectively address identified community issues, they often work closely with engineers and architects to create plans that accomplish officially established goals and objectives. As communities plan for their futures, they are increasingly coordinating the efforts of departments such as building services, engineering, parks and recreation, maintenance, and planning to work collectively rather than in isolation from one another. Such overlap and coordination results in community development projects that reflect the goals of the citizens while supporting economic activities that sustain the delivery of public services back to the community.

As projects are developed, planners look for ways to partner with other agencies to increase efficiency, improve benefits, and distribute costs widely. For example, in the area of highway or road construction, federal partners may include the U.S. Department of Transportation, the Federal Highway Administration, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and the Environmental Protection Agency; state departments of transportation, environmental quality, and water resources; and other related state agencies. Regional partners may include regional planning associations, county governments, and other identified agencies whose involvement is critical to success. Local transportation partners may include associations of cities, local highway jurisdictions, association of counties, and other multijurisdictional agencies, such as various utility providers whose interest and participation may also be vital for completion.

Local Planning

The smallest level of civil planning and development is the local level. Local planning and development agencies and activities may differ dramatically in size and scope, from a small township to a county such as Los Angeles, which has a population of 10 million people. Local planning activities are affected by such factors as population density, land area, growth patterns, level of development activity, economic health and stability, and geographic constraints, among other conditions.

Potential Annual Earnings Scale. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), urban and regional planners working for any level of government earned average incomes of $79,540 in 2022. Civil engineers employed by state governments earned an average of $89,940, surveyors working for any level of government earned an average of $63,080, and survey researchers earned an average of $60,410. Actual salaries vary from these averages based on region, size of jurisdiction, and other factors.

Clientele Interaction. Urban and regional planners at the local level work closely with individuals throughout their communities, including local officials such as mayors, city managers, and city council members, as well as members of the public. They work with the members of planning or zoning commissions to explore and resolve how land being developed should be used to best serve the community, operating according to applicable legal regulations. Planners also work with developers, real estate professionals, and business and corporate representatives to determine whether proposed developments fit within the larger context and goals of the community at large. Some proposals may be opposed by some citizens while being favored by other citizens or by officials interested in new sources of revenue and jobs. In such cases, planners must be able to manage conflict effectively and create consensus among opposing groups. Other projects may necessitate working with legal professionals, banking and financial representatives, and representatives of other governmental agencies, including county, state, or federal entities. Planners need to be technically competent and skilled communicators in order to converse comfortably with people from diverse backgrounds and professions.

Amenities, Atmosphere, and Physical Grounds. Depending on the project at hand, local civil planners may spend their time working in offices or in the field. Typical office environments include private offices for individuals at higher levels and shared work spaces for those at lower levels. Additional office amenities may include private conference rooms where meetings requiring confidentiality may be held. Most local governmental offices are designed to facilitate productivity and a positive social climate. They are arranged to minimize distractions and allow employees to concentrate on job-related tasks.

Field assignments may include monitoring development projects on-site. Development sites may be dirty and cluttered with tools, materials, or debris. Monitoring and inspection may be required at any stage of development, subjecting planners to all types of weather conditions. Monitoring the progress of a development project may require taking photographs, writing reports, and using specialized computer software to ensure compliance with the terms of the project’s contract. Such on-site monitoring is critical since many development projects are complex endeavors that include numerous phases of construction. Monitoring ensures that each phase is completed and conforms to the overall development plan.

Typical Number of Employees. Small towns, large cities, and counties have radically different staffing needs. In general, civil planning offices and agencies may employ anywhere from fewer than ten to more than seventy-five people, including professional, technical, and support staff.

Traditional Geographic Locations. Most local planning departments are located within their governments’ primary civic center areas or civic administration buildings. In large cities and counties, additional satellite offices provide needed planning services to areas located further away from central offices.

Pros of Working for a Local Planning Agency. Local civil planners have the opportunity to interact with the top levels of management and to interact with staff in more functional areas. Often, smaller jurisdictions lack large staffs, so planners are expected to take on multiple roles and responsibilities. Doing so gives them the opportunity to develop their talents while handling a variety of projects. In this way, they may gain broader skills and experience, thus building their level of competency and growing their particular areas of expertise. Working at the local level is also viewed as a good stepping stone by planners who aspire to work at higher professional levels in larger governmental agencies.

One of the keys to successful community planning and development is participation at all levels of the process by the citizens of the community. Planners at the local level have a greater opportunity than those at higher levels to build community relationships and facilitate consensus. To better inform the public about planning projects under consideration, planners increasingly use specialized software that visually represents how finished projects will look, what their environmental impacts will be, and how they will contribute to their overall communities. Another advantage of working at the local level is that there may be fewer levels of approval required, resulting in quicker response times that more rapidly produce community benefits.

Cons of Working for a Local Planning Agency. Local governmental planning departments generally have smaller budgets and smaller staffs, resulting in increased workloads and less opportunity to share tasks and responsibilities. These small staffs with few resources are less able to adapt to unforeseen circumstances and complications when they arise, so their projects experience greater pressure on deadlines and completion dates. Smaller budgets also tend to result in less up-to-date equipment and software. Fewer staff members can result in less personal autonomy, which can have the effect of magnifying any work mistakes.

For individuals desiring to grow in their profession, smaller governmental agencies with their smaller budgets often afford fewer opportunities for growth and promotion. Also, smaller budgets may not include the funding needed to attend ongoing training programs, such as professional conferences or seminars. Planners who are required to assume multiple roles and responsibilities also risk being pigeonholed as generalists, possibly reducing their ability to specialize and develop technical expertise.

Costs

Payroll and Benefits: Local governments hire staff at salary levels that have generally been determined through compensation surveys that compare the pay and benefits being offered by similar municipalities. Similarities may include geographic size, number of citizens served, services provided, number and type of positions being surveyed, and other related factors. Salary rates are a product of supply and demand, and municipalities with similar positions to fill tend to compete for the same pool of employees. Most local governments also provide government-mandated benefits, in addition to vacation and sick leave.

Supplies: Local planning agencies require office supplies, information technology (telephones and computers), geographic information systems (GIS) and mapping programs, computer-aided drafting and design (CAD) programs, surveying equipment, building code manuals, state code manuals, and large-scale copiers or plotters.

External Services: Depending on the project, there may be times when outside consultants or professionals with specific expertise are contracted by local governments. For example, a city redevelopment agency that wants to finance the reconstruction of a local shopping mall may contract with attorneys who specialize in land-use planning or zoning laws and attorneys who specialize in municipal bond issuance for advice related to that specific project. Most routine services, such as payroll processing, computer maintenance, and facility maintenance, are usually performed by employees of the relevant departments within the local administration.

Utilities: Planning offices must pay for water, sewage, electricity, gas or oil, telephone, Internet access, and cable television if applicable.

Taxes: Local municipalities are required to pay applicable state and federal payroll, income taxes, and property taxes. They are generally exempt from taxes levied by their own jurisdictions.

State Planning

State civil planning agencies and activities fluctuate in size and scope as a result of various factors, such as state policies and state constitutional mandates, population growth or decline, environmental conditions, level of private economic development activity, level of natural resources, geographical limitations, and other conditions such as flooding, earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes, or other natural events that may influence the level of planning required.

Potential Annual Earnings Scale. According to the BLS, civil engineers employed by state governments earned average incomes of $89,940 in 2022. Surveyors earned an average of $63,080. Actual salaries vary from these averages based on region, size of jurisdiction, and other factors.

Clientele Interaction. State planners provide coordination and linkage between state and local agencies and functions related to ongoing state development and planning activities. They also organize and manage planned public works projects to meet schedules and budgets. Planners work with city, county, area, and regional governing boards, planning commissions, and zoning boards. They may also appear before legislative bodies to explain and defend project proposals. Planners work closely with other professionals such as civil engineers, architects, surveyors, representatives from institutions granting financial assistance such as the federal government, and other public agencies such as utility companies.

Amenities, Atmosphere, and Physical Grounds. Depending on the project at hand, state planners may spend their time working in an office environment or in the field. Typical office environments include private offices for individuals at higher levels and shared work spaces for those at lower levels. Additional office amenities may include private conference rooms, where meetings requiring confidentiality may be held. Most state governmental offices are designed to facilitate productivity and a positive social climate. They are arranged to minimize distractions and allow employees to concentrate on job-related tasks.

Typical Number of Employees.As of 2021, in the United States there were employed 318,300 civil-engineering jobs. The number employed by each state varied considerably, and these engineers are distributed to branch offices throughout the country. While such branch offices may be of various sizes, the total civil planning staff of a given state may range from dozens to more than one thousand employees depending on the size and budget of the state.

Traditional Geographic Locations. State planners may be based at a headquarters office, usually located in one or more state facilities within the capital city, or they may be based at regional offices throughout the state—on either a temporary or a permanent basis. Location of positions can also be influenced by factors such as the distribution of growing or expanding communities within the state or the need to rebuild specific communities after natural disasters.

Pros of Working for a State Planning Agency. Working at the state level offers many advantages, including diverse and interesting job opportunities, competitive salaries, enhanced benefits, and greater career mobility. Work assignments are generally on a larger scale than those at the local level, and they often include statewide projects. Most states have their own training departments, which offer employees ongoing training and development opportunities. Because staffing levels are generally higher and are adequate, individual responsibility is appropriately assigned, resulting in a more equitable workload balance among employees.

Cons of Working for a State Planning Agency. State agencies usually involve larger bureaucracies than local agencies, and employees may find they have less opportunity for direct decision making than those of smaller government entities. Additional levels of approval are needed for most decisions, and those who do make decisions have less flexibility to shift resources such as staff members and budget allocations among projects. It is often difficult to eliminate long-standing procedures or practices, regardless of whether they are ineffective or counterproductive. As staffing levels increase, so does the potential for communication breakdowns. For individuals who desire greater levels of professional growth, there are generally fewer opportunities at successively higher levels.

Costs

Payroll and Benefits: State governments generally hire salaried employees paid on a monthly basis. They can usually offer broader benefit packages than those available to local government employees. Compensation and benefit levels are tailored to the needs of each state, based on the requirements of well-qualified job candidates. In some state governments, employees are represented by collective bargaining units that affect the level and type of compensation and benefit packages offered, while other states’ compensation and benefits are formulated based on other factors. Typical benefit packages include paid leave, such as vacation, sick leave, and paid holidays. Other benefits may include health insurance, dental benefits, eye care, flexible benefit programs offering eligible employees tax savings for anticipated dependent medical care, employee assistance plans that provide counseling and support services for employees and their dependents, flexible working hours, telecommuting, paid or subsidized commuter and parking programs, child care, group legal services, long-term care insurance, home loan programs, and savings bonds.

Supplies: State planning and development employees require office supplies, information technology (telephones and computers), GIS and mapping programs, CAD programs, surveying equipment, building code manuals, state code manuals, and large-scale copiers or plotters.

External Services: State agencies may contract outside consultants or professionals to work on specific projects requiring their specific expertise. Most routine services such as payroll processing, computer maintenance, and facility maintenance are performed by other state employees. For example, payroll checks for State of California employees are processed by the State Controller’s Office and then delivered to each state agency for distribution. In cases where regional facilities are leased, however, services such as cleaning and maintenance may be contracted.

Utilities: Typical utilities include water, sewage, electricity, gas or oil, telephone, cable television, and Internet access.

Taxes: State government agencies are required to pay all applicable federal taxes. They are generally exempt from state property taxes, for example.

Federal Planning

The federal government is the nation’s largest single employer (although local governments collectively employ far more people). Of the three branches of government, the executive branch has the broadest responsibilities and employs more than 4 million civilians and military personnel.

Potential Annual Earnings Scale. According to the BLS, civil engineers employed by the federal government earned an average of $105,700. These incomes include locality bonuses paid to federal employees based on the metropolitan areas in which they reside to account for differences in cost of living in different localities.

Clientele Interaction. The federal government, with its many programs and public services, carries out a variety of activities in thousands of locations throughout the United States. Planners working for the federal government may be employed in any number of agencies, including the Army Corps of Engineers, the Federal Highway Administration, military installations such as Navy field offices, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, or the Department of Agriculture. Planners and development officials may interact with local and state agencies that also have an interest or stake in their projects. For example, new construction or reconstruction of a highway or bridge may require planners to work with local civic leaders, members of the public, and other public officials in an effort to ensure a smooth and collaborative process. Working with local officials also allows their input into the overall design and implementation of the project. Planners may also work with subcontractors or other private businesses that may be involved with various aspects of federal or federally funded projects.

Amenities, Atmosphere, and Physical Grounds. Federal buildings serve a critical function in symbolizing the operations, stability, and endurance of the government. They have been developed and designed to provide safe and productive workplaces and to enhance the communities in which they are located. According to the Government Accounting Office, the United States owns approximately 435,000 buildings, most of which are assigned to one of thirty federal agencies. Although many of these buildings are multistoried, modern commercial office buildings, other federal buildings are of modest size and designed to fit well within their specific locales. Federal planners may be assigned to offices located in large multistoried buildings, as well as smaller one-story buildings located on military bases or elsewhere.

Federal planners may spend their time working in an office environment or in the field. Typical office environments are relatively relaxed and include private offices for individuals at higher levels and semiprivate offices for those at lower levels. Additional office amenities may include private conference rooms for holding confidential meetings. Some federal office buildings may also include cafeterias, child-care centers, physical fitness centers, and on-site parking facilities. Federal governmental offices are also designed to facilitate accessibility, safety, and security. Some federal planners’ duties may require travel to attend meetings, complete training, or perform inspections. Some planners may also work alternative or compressed work schedules.

Typical Number of Employees. As of 2022, the Department of Housing and Urban Development employed about 7,240 people. Other federal agencies also employ planning and development staff.

Traditional Geographic Locations. The geographic locations of federal planners vary depending on their agencies and specific projects they oversee. Planners may find themselves working in metropolitan centers, on military bases, near large waterway areas, at utility installations such as dams, or in various suburban and rural communities.

Pros of Working for a Federal Planning Agency. Since the federal government is the single largest employer in the nation, it offers many more planning positions than does any individual state or local government to candidates with specialized knowledge in areas such as transportation, urban renewal, environmental planning, economic development, planning systems, and planning administration. Federal planners have the ability to work in a variety of challenging assignments throughout the United States that may lead to potential career advancement. They also receive training and professional development opportunities. Federal employment offers planning professionals high salaries and benefits, overall job stability, flexible work hours, and the opportunity to serve the public good.

Cons of Working for a Federal Planning Agency. The federal government is one of the largest bureaucracies on earth. Many levels of approval may be required for decision making, and policy-level decisions can be made only by temporary presidential appointees, as opposed to career civil servants. Some decisions, especially those involving projects occurring at several jurisdictional levels, may affect the overall time frames of those projects. Because budgeted funds must be used only for the purpose for which they were congressionally approved, resources cannot be shifted from one project to another. Federal career employees may also be negatively affected by changes in presidential administrations, which bring changes in policy and can alter the parameters of previously approved projects, resulting in their reduction in scale or even elimination.

Costs

Payroll and Benefits: Federal employees are paid according to a congressionally approved scale known as the general schedule that includes fifteen pay grades and ten steps within each grade. Employees receive base salaries plus locality bonuses as established by law. Senior officials are compensated according to another pay scale, also set by law. They also receive generous benefits, including health and life insurance options, retirement plans, vacation, and sick leave. They may receive job performance bonuses and awards.

Supplies: Federal urban and regional planning and development agencies require vehicles, office supplies, information technology (telephones and computers), GIS and mapping programs, CAD programs, surveying equipment, building code manuals, state code manuals, and large-scale copiers or plotters. Field operations may also require safety equipment such as hard hats and first-aid kits.

External Services: The federal government, in addition to being the nation’s largest employer, is its largest customer of independent contractors. In an effort to operate at the lowest possible cost, federal agencies routinely accept external vendors’ bids for supplies and services. Some projects may require the government to hire outside consultants or professionals with specific areas of expertise, such as heavy-equipment operators. Depending upon the agency, services such as payroll processing and computer maintenance may be performed by other federal employees, while other services such as cleaning and maintenance may be provided by contractors.

Utilities: Typical utilities include water, sewage, electricity, gas or oil, telephone, cable television, and Internet access.

Taxes: Federal government agencies are exempt from paying property taxes, but they do pay income taxes for their employees.

Industry Outlook

Overview

The outlook for this industry shows it to be on the rise. Urban and regional planning in the public sector in one sense reveals the economic conditions of the nation. The connection between urban and regional planning and the economy is related to general building activity, the processing demand for development applications, and the day-to-day activities related to overseeing and monitoring such projects as housing developments, retail centers, and new business parks.

Several factors contribute to the continued need for public sector urban and regional planners. The primary objective of the federal government is to establish and maintain viable urban communities through partnerships with state and local governments, along with private investment, to support community development activities that can directly benefit citizens and the nation. In the long term, as the economy recovers, the number of public sector urban and regional planners is expected to grow.

Communities of all sizes rely on three primary sources of revenue: income tax, property tax, and sales tax. Growing or maintaining these tax bases requires a stable economy and vibrant market activity. To secure adequate revenues to provide ongoing public services, local communities are increasingly engaged in competition with one another for industrial plants, corporate headquarters, high-technology firms, business centers, and government facilities. They offer reduced tax rates, cheap land, skilled laborers, and other amenities in an effort to attract investors. The payoff is that large developments bring with them jobs and economic resources that often cycle back through local businesses, thereby adding to the needed tax revenues.

President Joe Biden's 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law allots $1 trillion, more than $600 million of which will be used to rebuild America's roads, bridges, and rails. Combined with his Build Back Framework, it will add about 1.5 million jobs per year until 2031. Among these jobs will be positions for planners, developers, architects, and engineers.

Employment Advantages

The BLS projects that employment for urban and regional planners will increase by approximately 4 percent between 2021 and 2031, an average growth rate. A majority of urban and regional planners are hired by local governments because the community level is where changes to transportation, housing, land use, and development are first recognized. Other major employers of urban and regional planners include architectural and engineering firms, state government agencies, consulting firms, and the federal government.

Civil planning offers individuals the opportunity to make a significant difference at the community and national level. Most civil planning positions require at least a bachelor’s degree, and many require a graduate degree. Most planners specialize in one or more areas, such as community development and redevelopment, land-use or code enforcement, transportation planning, environmental and natural resources, urban design, or economic planning and development. Those with a background in planning management, budget, and finance are especially sought after. Public sector employment is considered relatively stable and generally less susceptible to fluctuations in the economy than private sector employment.

Annual Earnings

Civil services as governmental entities do not produce annual earning statements because they are not revenue-generating businesses. Funded primarily by taxes, fees, and other funding sources, including intergovernmental transfers, they report instead on how their funds are used, including jobs created in the public sector. Although planning positions at the state and local levels may not grow as rapidly in the near future as they have in the past, they are expected to resume growing once the economy recovers.

In the meantime, planning positions at the federal level are expected to increase. According to the BLS, employment in the federal government is projected to decrease overall by 2 percent between 2016 and 2026. Retirement by members of the federal workforce will also result in a sizable number of job openings for federal positions in various occupational groups.

Many federal agencies utilize planning positions. These include the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the United States Geological Survey, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the Forest Service, and various military branches. Federal planning positions also may offer a variety of professional career choices, travel and relocation opportunities, and salary and benefit levels at or exceeding those of the private sector.

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