In 2030, more Canadians will live in cities than ever before. The growing cost of life in the city has put new limits on how we design and build our cities. The urban planners of 2030 will be working to balance citizen needs with city designs that can respond to growing populations and environmental pressures.

Urban Planners will be well versed in environmental technologies and are aware of the value of building ‘green’ cities. They will be able to understand and include social and cultural observations into their designs. For example, if large homes are too expensive to heat, urban planners might shift to plan denser cities with zones especially for smaller houses. Great planners will chat with the public about shared spaces on a regular basis. Instead of being just another government worker who shapes communities from a distance, they may use various types of media to excite and inform people about the work that they do.

Urban Planners will still need to have university training in planning. They will benefit most from studies that touch on infrastructure design and engineering. They will also benefit from political science, economics, sociology, and anthropology. Because urban planners work under the city government, they will need to able to balance leading their team with government demands.