Planning
Have you ever wondered who is responsible for new building developments in your local area? Who planned that new shopping centre, the new housing on the old industrial site, the bowling alley, multiplex cinemas and office quarter? The answer is that behind all these schemes there are town planners at work, says Jim Claydon, Head of the School of Planning and Architecture at the University of the West of England (UWE) in Bristol
From Which Course? magazine. Issue 30.3
Published: 31 January 2002
Town planners have had a very important historical role in shaping our towns and cities. For example, the Romans laid out the street pattern of York and Christopher Wren planned the rebuilding of the City of London after the Great Fire. In Georgian times, John Wood created the elegance of Bath, and Robert Adam designed New Town in Edinburgh. Planners have been responsible for the Garden Cities of Letchworth and Welwyn, the thirty new towns from Crawley in Sussex to Glenrothes in Scotland and Milton Keynes, the largest brand-new city ever to be built in the UK.
Town planning is not just about new buildings; it is also concerned with preserving historic buildings and the countryside. Planners are responsible for identifying and protecting listed buildings and conservation areas. Perhaps the best-known product of town planning is the designation of Green Belts, which protect open land around our biggest cities. Planners are particularly concerned with sustainability and encourage developers to think about the future implications of new building. At the same time, they protect nature reserves and are responsible for planning in our National Parks.
In recent years, planners have been very active in regenerating our towns and cities such as the centres of Birmingham, Manchester, Newcastle, Glasgow and the docklands of Bristol, Cardiff, Liverpool and London.
Entry requirements
Because town planning is not a subject studied in school, the entry qualifications can be very varied. A-levels or equivalent in Geography, Economics, Sociology, Art, Law, Graphics, Politics or Statistics are all relevant and give an indication of the spread of subjects that will be studied in a university course. Vocational A-levels are equally acceptable. The most important attribute for someone wanting to study town planning is that they should be a good all rounder and interested in their environment.
Pathways to qualification
The most common route into the career is to enrol on an undergraduate course at university but it is important to check that this is accredited by the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI). Two or three good A levels (B and C grades) or equivalent should be sufficient for entry to most universities, with recognised courses available in Ireland (the Republic as well as Northern Ireland), Wales, Scotland and most of the English regions.
Undergraduate courses are for four years, usually offering an Honours Degree after three years and a further degree/diploma for the fourth year of study. Together, these qualifications provide for RTPI professional recognition.
Other ways to enter the profession include:
- A post-graduate course (two years full-time) after a first degree in another subject
- A job in a town planning office combined with part-time study
- A distance-learning course run in conjunction with the Open University, available to first degree or postgraduate entrants
Whatever the route of study, you need two years of practice after gaining your recognised qualification in order to become a member of the Institute and put the letters MRTPI after your name.
Choosing a course
Students will find a great variety of content in Planning courses, with design, problem-solving, policy making, social and economic analysis and communication skills being taught in projects alongside the academic study of government, history, law and the environment. It is normally possible to specialise in some of these areas or in aspects of planning such as urban design, transport, urban regeneration, rural planning, leisure and tourism studies.
Recently some universities have introduced jointly accredited courses, such as Architecture and Planning at my own university in Bristol or Planning and Land Management at Aberdeen and Reading. Others offer the opportunity to participate in a sandwich year placement in planning practice (Cardiff, Newcastle and Heriot-Watt).
Career directions
Most Town Planners work in local authorities, producing development plans, considering applications for planning permission, devising regeneration schemes, managing conservation areas and undertaking urban design. Planners nowadays may also work for a variety of other organisations, including the Environment Agency, Regional Development Agencies, house builders and retailers as well as in consultancies. In the private sector, planners represent the interests of developers and advise them on property development.
Prospects for employment in town planning are extremely good at the moment, with most students gaining permanent employment within a few months of graduating. There is likely to be a significant shortage of qualified planners in the next decade as a result both of increasing demand and of the current age profile of the profession.
Further information
The Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI), 26 Portland Place, London W1N 4BE
E-Mail:online@rtpi.org.uk
Website: www.rtpi.org.uk