Urban planners are in the business of making communities more equitable, sustainable, and, frankly, more fun. Think of your hometown. Wouldn’t it be great to make it a better place for people of your own age and others? Think of the places you love to visit: waterfront parks, bike trails, busy city shopping districts, or quaint small towns. Those don’t happen by accident. They happen because of urban planners.
If you’re into making the world a better place, fixing up your hometown, or just love thinking about how cities and towns work, a minor in urban planning can be a great fit for you. Planners work in cities and towns of all sizes and for the federal government as well, sometimes for FEMA or for the military. They work in non-profit community development offices and for agencies that support affordable housing. Some are transportation experts, GIS software professionals, or private real-estate developers.
Planners are communicators, consensus builders, and problem solvers. The study of urban planning meshes well with majors in sociology, anthropology, religious studies, gender studies, history, political science, social justice, environmental science, data science, communications studies, architecture, landscape architecture, construction management, and others.