How can we mitigate traffic and design public transit systems that will be used by the masses?  How do we encourage communities to walk and bike after so many years of designing transportation around the car?  How can we continue shipping goods and providing services as gas prices climb and the climate changes?  These are the questions urban planning professionals including transportation and land use planners tackle. 

As reducing climate change and caring for the environment become a higher priority for governments and municipalities, so will the demand for professional planners with an understanding of sustainability.

Here are a few professional careers you might want to consider if you are interested in transportation and city planning:

Transportation planner
Focus on demand management, transit-oriented development, pedestrian and bicycle safety, para-transit and special needs services.

Land-use planner
Focus on growth management, natural resource management and conservation.

County commissioners and city planners
Opportunities to write code and ordinances to encourage green building, renewable energy development and smart growth.

Areas of undergraduate study might include community and urban development, geography, political science, engineering and sociology.

Graduate programs in urban planning and design as well as transportation management and law can provide you with the skills you need to become a successful planner.  Here are a few programs you may want to consider in the Northwest:

University of Washington College of Architecture and Urban Planning

Portland State University Center for Transportation Studies

University of Oregon Department of Planning, Public Policy and Management

For a list of all Planning Accredited degree programs visit the Planning Accreditation Board.

For more information on the planning profession and what careers are available visit the American Planning Association.