Undergraduate Program - Urban and Regional Planning

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What is Urban and Regional Planning?

Urban and Regional Planning is concerned with the development of policies and plans for the use of land and resources. It involves making recommendations on the social, cultural, economic and environmental needs of the community.

Urban and Regional Planners work with communities, elected representatives and private interest groups to plan and produce better lives and environments for neighbourhoods, cities and regions. They use skills of consultation, analysis, synthesis and communication.

Urban and Regional Planners work on large-scale projects such as new suburbs, towns, industrial areas, commercial and retail developments, urban renewal projects and transportation links.

They work closely with professionals in other fields such as surveying, architecture, engineering, environment and conservation, property development, community services and transport planning.

Why choose Urban and Regional Planning at QUT?

Urban and Regional Planning at QUT combines a strong tradition of community involvement with design skills to develop your knowledge and capacity to identify better futures and the practical skills to achieve them.

With an emphasis on creative design and inclusive community planning, you will undertake practical, community-based problem-solving projects. You will also be exposed to live projects with local council planners and community groups and sites.

Urban and Regional Planning at QUT also has close links with the profession and many students choose to take vacation and part-time employment in planning situations during the course of their University studies.

At the end of your course, you can become a student member of the Planning Institute of Australia (PIA).

The Queensland division of the PIA has close links with the School of Urban Development, and promotes the Queensland Young Planners, of which all QUT planning students are automatically members.

Is Urban and Regional Planning for you?

If you are interested in any of the following, you may enjoy a career in Urban and Regional Planning:

• Social, economic, environmental and cultural issues
• Art and design
• Imagination and creativity
• Working with people.

Other careers to consider

You may also like to consider a career in a related area, which may involve similar interests, such as:

• Architecture
• Civil and Environmental Engineering
• Quantity Surveying.

Career outcomes

As an Urban and Regional Planning graduate you will find employment opportunities in state and local government departments, with private sector planning consultants and in real estate and financial institutions.

You can build a career in areas such as urban design, community health and welfare, housing, transport, and strategic land use planning. International employment opportunities are also available with a large number of recent graduates working in the UK, Eire, South-East Asia, the Pacific Region and elsewhere.

Further information

Domestic enquiries Telephone: +61 7 3138 1433 Fax: +61 7 3138 1529 Email: bee.enquiries@qut.edu.au

Study options

Undergraduate Study

• Bachelor of Urban Development (Urban and Regional Planning)

The QUT StudyFinder site provides more information on this course