What do you do if you need guidance in your Urban Planning career?

Seek mentors both within and outside of your workplace. Also make sure to maintain strong relationships with colleagues and people in your network so that you feel comfortable seeking out their guidance. Getting an outsider opinion from a planner not in your workplace can be hugely helpful in certain circumstances. If faced with an ethical dilemma, look to your professional code(s) and ask the opinion of another certified/registered professional planner. Make sure to look into what resources your workplace or professional association offers.

Cultivate a relationship with folks you admire or are inspired by to be your mentor! The worst thing they can do is say no or yes! Facing my own fear of reaching out to connect with a mentor truly changed my perspective on my career and gave me confidence to make big career changes. Later on, I used that confidence to reach out to other people to be a mentor or at least someone with a listening ear (personal/professional) to gain guidance from. My mentors gave me the confidence to dream of a planning career that's fulfilling and I'm forever grateful!

Participating in urban planning forums can accelerate a young planner’s learning curve and offer insights that are not readily available in textbooks or classrooms. Websites like Cyburbia, Planetizen, and the Urban Planning subreddit are prime examples of vibrant discussions covering everything from land use planning to urban design and environmental sustainability. These forums foster a sense of community and act as informal mentorship channels, where seasoned professionals often provide guidance and support to novices, enriching their understanding and helping them navigate their career paths effectively.

Find your tribe! In planning but also outside of planning that you can connect with on personal level as well. Building a network of people who look like you, share similar interests, or that are experiencing the field at different levels are so valuable. Even if it's just a few classmates from undergrad/grad school or an organization/passion project - they're out there! :)

One thing I’ve found helpful when applying for roles, during the interview I typically ask “what would make me a better/more qualified candidate for this role?”. This question allows me to gain insight regarding how other professionals view my experience and expertise and identify gaps of knowledge or a lack of skillset.

City planners are responsible for designing urban spaces that cater to human activities. Urbanization is a social trend that is shaped by social and cultural experiences, rather than being innate or biological. Planners use their expertise to identify and resolve social challenges, choosing their work tools or drawing on the ideas of others. Such as urbanism is a rational approach to decision-making and intervention that can help create thriving urban spaces.

Keeping up with trends in the industry is vital to continuing education and growing as an urban planner. Additionally, continue to grow by diversifying your sources of information and gaining new and different perspectives in planning. In addition to mainstream sources like APA, consider: - the Unurbanist Assembly - Othering and Belonging Institute - Density Dad - Four Degrees to the Streets Podcast - sources that do not originate from your nation, such as the UK-based Town and Country Planning Association - publications focused on planning-adjacent industries including architecture, construction, engineering, landscape architecture, etc.

When in doubt, I reach out to my network of colleagues and mentors for guidance. It’s nothing like reaching out to passionate planners who are willing to help guide you. There isn’t one planner that isn’t willing to help the next one. Be sure to utilize your resources and put yourself out there to create new relationships for more insight in your career as a planned.