Considering Planning As A Profession
lotuspuppy
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Location: On a journey to the center of the mind
30 Aug 2012, 2:59 pm
So I am considering a career in urban planning, and was wondering what people here thought. Cities have fascinated me as long as I can remember, and what fascinates me more is how people interact with the built environment around them. I didn't even realize this profession existed just a couple years ago, and I have been researching it ever since. I wasn't sure I wanted to pursue it. Now I am reasonably confident.
Are there any Aspies who are planners, or engineers who engage in planning? Could it be a good fit for those with Asperger's? I understand planning is a highly collaborative profession that involves a great deal of selling, wheeling and dealing. This scares me some, but I have always sought out situations that test my social skills. I enjoy the challenge. Besides, it might be worth it if even some of my work improves someone's life, even if it's at the end of my career. I'm willing to wait.
Let me know if you want to know details of what type of planning I want to do. I just didn't want to bore everyone with details.
Last edited by lotuspuppy on 31 Aug 2012, 6:54 pm, edited 1 time in total.
31 Aug 2012, 6:31 pm
I have family members working as planners. Different jobs in planning will have different levels of AS friendlessness.
In the UK the RTPI are the professional association for town planners, I don't know about other countries.
lotuspuppy
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Joined: 14 Jan 2008
Age: 35
Gender: Male
Posts: 995
Location: On a journey to the center of the mind
01 Sep 2012, 11:01 am
In the UK the RTPI are the professional association for town planners, I don't know about other countries.
Thank you. In the U.S. (where I live), there's the American Planning Association (APA).
I wonder what the state of the profession is over there. I mean, I know it's at a standstill now, but when the economy recovers (and it will), what are the planning and design trends? I know London has several exciting things happening, but I don't know about the other cities or towns.
07 Sep 2012, 7:00 pm
In some respects it is equally important in a recession as when the economy is booming.
In boom times the desire for growth and new building is overwhelming, with the desire to build on every empty plot of land. This threatens green belt and conservation areas. The scale of the buildings desired can be far larger (higher) than those in the surrounding areas.
In recession times the desire to cut costs will result on the cheapest designs being chosen, with no emphasis on quality. There is also the challenge of rejuvenating areas which have declined. Less money is available for conservation so some historic buildings may be lost. Potential economic growth may be used as an excuse for lower standards, building on protected land and the destruction of historic buildings.
When the economy recovers it will be vital that it is not unduly hindered by poor decisions made during the recession.
It would probably vary from job to job, some will be more involved in the technical aspects such as analysing schemes and involve little human contact, others will be more campaigning and will result in a larger amount of negotiation.
