Volunteers work with municipalities and communities, as well as with regional or national governments. Projects include assessing the impact of planned activities or economic and environmental development on communities, planning infrastructure for primary and secondary cities, planning and controlling budgets, and coordinating activities between governmental organizations and communities.

Education

Applicants must have a bachelor's or master's degree in urban or regional planning or a master's degree in public administration or public policy with a concentration in urban planning; or a bachelor's degree in architecture, urban studies, or geography and one year of experience in urban planning; or a bachelor's degree in any discipline with at least five years of professional experience, three of them directly related to urban planning.

Experience

Most applicants have at least one year of urban planning experience, not necessarily professional experience but typically involving an internship while in school.

Other relevant experience includes work with community service organizations or local and state planning departments; business experience related to sales, budget development, and computers; research for project development; strategic planning; and volunteer work with community- or school-based organizations.