What is a City Planner?

Based on the site meter at the bottom of the blog, most of you have come to this website wondering what a planner does. But no one stays for long. Why is that? What are you looking for? And why wouldn't you believe someone who does planning everyday? Am I boring? Is that it? Or are you looking for something that seems more authoritative?

I have a master's degree in urban planning. I have been invovled with planning for almost two years now, and I have moved from a planning intern to planner I to now the city planner for the City of Mont Belvieu, where I have been for the last 6 months. I may have something to say about how to plan. There are more authoritative sources, I am sure. But I certainly have my own ideas. And besides, look around. Are you satisfied with the way things are? If not, why do you go to those tired old sources for more of the same? Don't you want to look at someone's ideas who are different? Someone who may not have been published (yet). Someone who is doing the job everyday. Someone who shares your values and ideas, has a vision for the future and knows how to share it, and can do something about it. Well, look no further.

Planning is all about vision. Look at the past and learn. Look at the present and apply. Look to the future and dream. Do you like the way your city looks? Functions? Are there enough opportunities for you to share and be involved? What about the youth? The elderly? Those with no children? Those with 14 children? Alternative lifestyles (not just gay and lesbian, but other non-traditional household groups - siblings, for example - living together to share mutual benefits)? How about the environment? Who is concerned about that? What can city planning do to help these folks, concepts, values, and priorities? Anything?

I think so. It's what gets me out of bed in the morning. There is a lot of the day-to-day regulation that is required as a city planner. But the things that keep a person returning to the job are the potential to affect things for the better, to speak to someone about their problems, and to reach out across perceived divides to create bridges of understanding. What do you need? Tell me about it. What is important to you? If you never speak up, nothing will ever happen that will improve the situation. And the things that are important to you may not be important to others, particularly those with the ability to make changes. But if you speak with a voice that cannot be silenced, people must listen.

I am listening.