Urban Designer
What the work is
Designs and plans the spatial form and layout of cities, towns, suburbs and precincts, considering the relationship between urban systems and social, environmental and economic needs.
Would you enjoy the work?
These are the main tasks in the official description. Mark how each one sounds to you.
- Designs and plans the division of land and layout of cities, towns and suburbs to integrate public spaces, infrastructure, buildings, streets and parks
- Performs site analysis using spatial data, and analyses the physical, cultural, social and environmental characteristics of sites to inform urban design projects
- Produces documents such as master plans, performs feasibility studies, and creates urban design guidelines
- Creates detailed drawings and plans utilising artistic and graphic skills to convert concepts into technical drawings using software, such as computer-aided design (CAD)
- Works with design and planning teams, and negotiates with stakeholders and consultants to shape urban places
- Creates or contributes to policy, standards and guidelines that affect the built environment
- Advises state and local governments about the potential impacts of development proposals on regions, cities or places
Try it
A simulation and a case study from this kind of work, set in a small architecture studio designing homes, extensions and community buildings. They are fictional.
The kind of days you could have
Good days
- You walk through a finished house and see how the family is already using the space
- A tricky site problem finally resolves with one clean idea on a sketch
- A client says the building feels like them, not like a catalogue
Hard days
- A client wants more than the budget and the rules allow, and you have to tell them
- A builder finds a surprise in an old wall and the drawings suddenly need changing
- Waiting weeks for a council approval while the client keeps asking for news
Written by Career Calling as a general guide. Real roles vary by employer and place.
Work a mission
Step into a simulated workplace in this field, with a brief from your manager.
Description and tasks: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Occupation Standard Classification for Australia, 2024, Version 1.0 (opens another site), occupation 241133, used under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. The skill guide above is our plain English summary.