Urban Design
Develop a fulfilling career designing and planning our community spaces, cities and built environments.
A career in urban design
As built-environment professionals, urban designers identify challenges and opportunities in existing and emerging urban environments. They create thoughtful interventions and enhancements that help shape better places for people and communities.
With cities growing and new developments taking shape, urban designers play an important role across planning, analysis, consenting, engagement and design processes. Their expertise helps ensure that the places we create are functional, connected and responsive to the needs of the people who use them.
While there is some location-specific policy and legislation to learn prior to practising overseas, graduates of our programmes have been sought after internationally. Alumni are currently employed throughout Asia, the Pacific, the United Kingdom, Europe, Australia and North America.
The University of Auckland offers the only accredited (NZPI) urban design programmes in New Zealand. Our School of Architecture and Planning has close links to the New Zealand Planning Institute and its Council, with some academics holding memberships.
Sector outlook
There are three main career paths for professional urban designers and planners:
- Local councils and council-controlled organisations
- Governments
- Private consulting firms
About half of our graduates go into the public sector, while the other half head into private firms or start their own companies. This is a significant change from the recent past, when most graduates went into the public sector.
It’s possible for urban planners to move between organisations and disciplines, heading into related areas such as social policy, housing, public health, transport, community development and heritage conservation.
Many of our graduates have also progressed into significant leadership and management roles, including mayors, councillors, CEOs and company and board directors.
Job options
University of Auckland graduates are employed as planners, designers and consultants in public and private organisations such as:
- Auckland Council
- Hamilton City Council
- Ministry of Culture and Heritage
- Moa Design
- MWH Global
Other potential careers include:
- Professional urban planner/designer (city or regional)
- Resource consent planner
- Transport planner
- Policy analyst