Urban and Land Use Planners
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Job description
These individuals develop plans and make recommendations on land use and facilities in urban, rural, and remote areas. They are self-employed or work for:
- The government
- Developers
- Engineering or consulting firms
- Architectural and urban planning firms
- The community sector
Environment
- Controlled ambient temperature
Main tasks
- Collect and analyze data on factors influencing land use.
- Present plans to civil, rural, and regional authorities.
- Hold public meetings to present plans, proposals, and studies to the general public and interest groups.
- Prepare, review, evaluate, and recommend land use (zoning, subdivisions, transportation networks, etc.) and lot proposals.
- Prepare management plans to protect wildlife areas, parks, and water bodies.
- Evaluate permit applications and ensure compliance with planning and zoning by-laws.
- Establish long-term objectives and policies for land use and environmental protection.
- Supervise and coordinate the work of Urban Planning Technicians and Technologists.
Advancement and mobility
- Experience leads to management positions.
Hourly wage
The hourly wage is calculated by averaging wages from 2022 to 2024.- Minimum
- $30.00
- Median
- $43.00
- Maximum
- $66.02
Job prospects for 2024-2028
Job prospects for 2024-2028
Job prospects
All of Québec
All of Québec
Total jobs for 2023
All of Québec
All of Québec
Gender distribution
All of Québec
- 39.3% Female
- 60.7% Male
- 39.3% Female
- 60.7% Male
Job types
All of Québec
- Full time
- Part time
- Full time
- Part time
Yearly wage on 2020
All of Québec
All of Québec
Other characteristics
All of Québec
- None
All of Québec
- None
Sectors of activity
All of Québec
-
NAICS 9136% of jobs
-
NAICS 5413, 541412% of jobs
-
NAICS 48, 499% of jobs
-
NAICS 214% of jobs
-
NAICS 224% of jobs
-
Others35% of jobs
All of Québec
-
NAICS 9136% of jobs
-
NAICS 5413, 541412% of jobs
-
NAICS 48, 499% of jobs
-
NAICS 214% of jobs
-
NAICS 224% of jobs
-
Others35% of jobs
Training and requirements
Formation
Most training programs are offered in French only.
University
Architecture
Bachelor’s degree
Placement rate: 35.9%
50% of graduates pursue further studies
Master’s degree
Placement rate: 97.2%
0.9% of graduates pursue further studies
Environmental design
Bachelor’s degree
Placement rate: 59.4%
33.3% of graduates pursue further studies
Master’s degree
Placement rate: 100%
Geography
Bachelor’s degree
Placement rate: 44.8%
48.5% of graduates pursue further studies
Master’s degree
Placement rate: 68.4%
28.9% of graduates pursue further studies
Landscape architecture
Bachelor’s degree
Placement rate: 65%
35% of graduates pursue further studies
Master’s degree
Placement rate: 85.7%
Urban architecture and planning
Master’s degree
Placement rate: 100%
Urban planning
Bachelor’s degree
Placement rate: 65.5%
28.7% of graduates pursue further studies
Master’s degree
Placement rate: 88.7%
3.2% of graduates pursue further studies
Urban studies
Bachelor’s degree
Placement rate: 70.8%
20.8% of graduates pursue further studies
Master’s degree
Placement rate: 71.4%
14.3% of graduates pursue further studies
Also required
- Membership in the Ordre des urbanistes du Québec (Quebec Order of Urban Planners) to bear the title of Urban Planner.
Sometimes required
- A Master’s degree is sometimes required in one of the following areas:
- Urban and regional planning
- Environmental design and planning
- Architecture
- Engineering
- Membership in the Canadian Institute of Planners may be required.
- Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification is sometimes required.
Main skills and characteristics
Skills
- Data collection
- Information processing
- Active listening
- Reading comprehension
- Critical thought
- Oral expression
- Judgment and decision-making
- System analysis
- Written expression
- Active learning
- Systems evaluation
- Social perception
- Solving complex problems
- Operation analysis
- Coordination
- Time management
- Negotiation
- Persuasion
- Result evaluation
- Human resource management
- Service oriented
- Learning strategies
- Mathematics
Abilities
- Verbal skills
- Written comprehension
- Oral comprehension
- Written expression
- Awareness of issues
- Speech clarity
- Deductive reasoning
- Inductive reasoning
- Speech recognition
- Information organization
- Idea generation
- Near vision
- Originality
- Visualization
- Classification
- Distance vision
- Mathematical reasoning
Knowledge and attributes
- Sense of responsibility
- Capacity to influence and mobilize
- Knowledge of mathematics
- Rigour
- Attention to detail
- Intermediate knowledge of the English language
- Respect standards and regulations
- Creativity
- Knowledge of buildings and construction
- Open-mindedness
Interests
- Direct, organize, and manage
- Draft, communicate, and inform
- Create, design
- Make technical plans and drawings
Personality profiles (RIASEC)
- Investigative
- People with this profile prefer relying on theoretical knowledge before acting. They like observation, analysis and problem solving.
- Realistic
- People with this profile prefer carrying out concrete tasks and being physically involved in what they do.
- Enterprising
- People with this profile prefer having responsibilities, influencing others and responding to challenges.
Official name of the NOC 21202
Urban and land use planners
Job titles
- Urban Planners
- Zoning officer - land use
- Municipal planner
- Senior planner - land use
- Land use specialist
- Mass transit services analyst
- Planning analyst - land use
- Transportation route planning analyst
- Community planner
- Community recreation planner
- Community and urban planner
- Environmental planner
- Regional planner
- Urban and regional planner
- City planner - land use
- Planner
- Long-range planner - land use
- Land use planner
- Recreation planner
- Park planner
- Municipal park planner
- Neighbourhood planner
- Site planner
- Heritage work planner
- Heritage planner - land use
- Urban renovation planner
- Transportation planner
Skill type
Natural and applied sciences and related occupations
Related occupations
Last update: January 29, 2026