21202 Urban and land use planners

What this occupation covers

Urban and land use planners develop plans and recommend policies for managing land use, physical facilities and associated services for urban and rural areas and remote regions. They are employed by all levels of government, land developers, engineering and other consulting companies, or may work as private consultants.

Official main duties

The NOC profile lists 9 main duties for this code.

• Compile and analyze data on demographic, economic, legal, political, cultural, sociological, physical and other factors affecting land use
• Confer with municipal, provincial and federal authorities, civic leaders, social scientists, lawyers, land developers, the public and special interest groups to formulate and develop land use or community plans
• Prepare and recommend land development concepts and plans for zoning, subdivisions, transportation, public utilities, community facilities, parks, agricultural and other land uses
• Prepare plans for environmental protection, such as wildlife preserves, national and provincial parks, and protection of watersheds
• Present plans to civic, rural and regional authorities and hold public meetings to present plans, proposals or planning studies to the general public and special interest groups
• Review and evaluate proposals for land use and development plans and prepare recommendations
• Process application for land development permits and administer land use plans and zoning by-laws
• Formulate long-range objectives and policies relative to future land use and the protection of the environment
• Supervise and coordinate work of urban planning technicians and technologists.

Do not copy these lines into your reference letter. The letter has to describe what you actually did, in your employer’s words. DUTYPROOF flags wording lifted from the NOC as something to review, and an officer reading a letter that mirrors the NOC reads it the same way.

What DUTYPROOF screens for

This is DUTYPROOF’s screening threshold, not IRCC’s decision. For this NOC, screening requires at least 2 of its 9 official duties to be evidenced in your own words, plus the required letter elements. IRCC asks that you performed the actions in the occupation’s lead statement and a substantial number of its main duties — so treat the duty coverage as the number that matters, not the badge.

Codes this one is confused with

The NOC profile names these itself. Choosing the wrong code of a look-alike pair is the most common way genuine work experience fails to establish eligibility.

• 21200 Architects
• 20011 Architecture and science managers
• 20010 Engineering managers
• 21203 Land surveyors

Excluded from this code

• Architects (See 21200 Architects)
• Architecture and science managers (See 20011 Architecture and science managers)
• Engineering managers (See 20010 Engineering managers)
• Land surveyors (See 21203 Land surveyors)

Job titles filed under this code

A title on this list does not by itself put your experience in this code — the duties in your letter decide that.

city planner · city planner - land use · community and urban planner · community planner · community recreation planner · environmental planner · heritage planner - land use · heritage work planner · land use planner · land use specialist · long-range planner - land use · mass transit services analyst · municipal park planner · municipal planner · neighbourhood planner · park planner · planner · planning analyst - land use · recreation planner · regional planner · senior planner - land use · site planner · town planner · transportation planner

Employment requirements

• A bachelor's degree in urban and regional planning, geography, architecture, engineering or a related discipline is required.
• A master's degree in one of these disciplines may be required.
• Membership in the Canadian Institute of Planners is usually required.
• Urban and land use planners are regulated in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, Alberta, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, and membership in a provincial planning institute may be required in other provinces.
• Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification is offered by the Canada Green Building Council and may be required by some employers.