Town Planning

Although most people are unaware of the effects town planning has on an area, it can safely be said that almost all the decisions made about the development or changes of a built up area are analyzed or initiated by a town planner. If you have recently had a new school or police station open, a new commercial or industrial park be developed, or a new division of housing be put up, the town planning office in your local community will have been heavily involved.

Town planning has several key variations which are essentially specializations within particular fields. For example, the national government and local councils both employ town planners in large numbers to staff their planning offices and development teams. Large development firms, whether residential, commercial or industrial, will also likely have town planners on staff. There are also small town planning firms in some of the larger urban areas, as well as architectural and engineering firms who have town planners on their pay roll. Even some not-for-profit aid organizations rely on town planners to help with relief efforts in disaster-stricken areas.

Some of the most common ways you can be affected by town planning are the planning of new roads (or widening of present roads), the erection of mobile phone towers or street lamps, or perhaps the demolishing of an old development to make way for new houses or shops. Although you may not notice the changes until they happen, they will initially have been approved by a planning office along with the help of several staff town planners.