Urban and Regional Planners
Machines can already do 43% of this job's tasks. By 2035 that rises to 71%. The job changes before it disappears.
Share of the work machines can do
Worldwide baseline, 2026 to 2050
Urban and Regional Planners in 2026: the short answer
- Today: machines can do 43% of this job's tasks, and AI use is already seen in 10% of them.
- Forecast: machines can do half of its tasks by 2029, and 71% by 2035, according to the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit.
- Size: 44,230 people do this job in the United States, on a median pay of $89,320 a year.
- Contact with people: it scores 75% for contact with people.
- Also called: City Planner, Community Development Planner, Community Planner, Development Technician.
Updated by the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit. These are worldwide baseline figures; the Workforce Starburst shows them for your country. Go deeper: How ready am I? or an executive briefing.
How the work changes, task by task
The tasks that take up most of the day, with the share of each that machines can do in 2026 (dark) and 2035 (pink). Worldwide baseline.
| Task | Share of the day | Machines can do | 2026 to 2035 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Design, promote, or administer government plans or policies affecting land use, zoning, public utilities, community facilities, housing, or transportation | 11% | 45% to 80% | |
| Hold public meetings with government officials, social scientists, lawyers, developers, the public, or special interest groups to formulate, develop, or address issues regarding land use or community plans | 8% | 30% to 54% | |
| Advise planning officials on project feasibility, cost-effectiveness, regulatory conformance, or possible alternatives | 6% | 35% to 58% | |
| Respond to public inquiries and complaints | 6% | 35% to 58% | |
| Create, prepare, or requisition graphic or narrative reports on land use data, including land area maps overlaid with geographic variables, such as population density | 5% | 70% to 95% | |
| Recommend approval, denial, or conditional approval of proposals | 5% | 35% to 58% | |
| Conduct field investigations, surveys, impact studies, or other research to compile and analyze data on economic, social, regulatory, or physical factors affecting land use | 5% | 55% to 85% | |
| Assess the feasibility of land use proposals and identify necessary changes | 5% | 50% to 85% |
The skills this job runs on
The skills urban and regional planners use most, most used first.
Safer jobs nearby
Jobs with a similar skill shape where machines can do less of the work by 2035.
- Range Managers57% of tasks by 2035 · US median $73,010
- Curators60% of tasks by 2035 · US median $63,420
- Foresters54% of tasks by 2035 · US median $76,400
- Emergency Management Directors64% of tasks by 2035 · US median $93,330
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Questions
When will machines do half of the tasks of Urban and Regional Planners?
Machines can do half of its tasks by 2029. That is the worldwide baseline from the 311 Workforce Starburst, before adjusting for country.
Will AI take the job of urban and regional planners?
Machines can do 43% of the tasks of urban and regional planners today and 71% by 2035. The job changes before it disappears: the routine tasks move first.
Sources and citing
Tasks and their share of the day: O*NET 31.0, occupation 19-3051.00 (US Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0). Pay and jobs: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. AI use today: Anthropic Economic Index (CC BY). Scoring and forecast: the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit; after 2035 the figures extend each trend, with lower confidence. Foresight, not advice.
Cite as: 311 Institute (2026). Urban and Regional Planners: the outlook to 2050. 311 Workforce Starburst. https://www.311institute.com/jobs/urban-and-regional-planners/