Town Planners are required to help to shape the way cities and towns develop. They balance the competing demands related to transport, business, leisure and housing and ensure projects meet the social and economic needs of a community. These professionals also assess potential negative or positive impact of plans for new buildings and roads.

Town Planners usually perform many of the following tasks:
• Developing parks in a sustainable way.
• Redesigning street layouts.
• Creating energy efficient and affordable homes.
• Enforcing planning controls.
• Hearing concerns about planning proposals.

• Having experience in GIS systems and CAD software.
• Having high attention to details.
• Being able to work with a team.
• Having good report writing skills.
• Being able to analyse complex data.
• Having good negotiation skills.
• Being able to deal with stressful circumstances.
• Having good time management skills.
• Being able to work with people from different backgrounds.
• Being organised.

People who want to work as a Town Planner require an accredited qualification from the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI). Among qualification modalities accredited by this institution are full time degree courses, postgraduate courses, distance learning courses, among other qualifications. Subjects available are built environment, planning and architecture, town and country planning, environmental planning, and civic design. Candidates that have an application accredited by the RTPI can start as assistant planners or graduate planners.