Urban planners are responsible for developing plans to build and coordinate infrastructure within a community. They work to create and implement plans for the development of cities, towns, and other urban areas. Urban planners use their knowledge of land use, zoning laws, and transportation infrastructure to address specific challenges facing urban areas, such as affordable housing, transportation infrastructure, or environmental concerns. They may be involved in a variety of tasks throughout the planning process, including conducting research, analyzing data, consulting with stakeholders, developing plans, and overseeing the implementation of those plans.

Urban planners may focus on a specific area of practice and have a title such as city planner, town planner, regional planner, long-range planner, transportation planner, infrastructure planner, environmental planner, parks planner, physical planner, health planner, planning analyst, urban designer, community development director, economic development specialist, or other similar combinations. Urban planners specializing in land use planning are predominantly concerned with the regulation of land use, development, and subdivision, with the intent of achieving the desired urban planning outcome. An urban planner may also be responsible for planning for transport facilities and infrastructure in urban and inter-regional areas, identifying opportunities for economic growth, and encouraging investment in an area, and concerned with the impact of land use, development, and subdivision on the natural environment including land, water, flora, and fauna, to achieve sustainable outcomes.