Thinking about pursuing a degree in urban planning but not quite sure what it is all about?
We asked UQ Senior Lecturer, Stephanie Wyeth, to share her insights into the Bachelor of Regional and Town Planning.
What is regional and town planning?
Regional and town planning to me is about ensuring cities and towns are planned, designed and managed to meet the needs of current and future populations. It is about making a fairer and greener planet.
Urban planners look at how land uses and development should occur. They analyse how cities should meet the current challenges of housing, community wellbeing, climate change and shift to renewal energies.
What I love about regional and town planning is how I can make a real change in the everyday lives of people and businesses. As a planner, you get to work with data, maps, legalisation, use design software, and other built environment professionals and co-design with local communities. You can make your mark on the city. Did I say I love maps?
Planning is a young, in-demand profession. Currently, there is a global shortage of planners, and in Australia, we will need another 2,500 planners by 2026.
Where do you find inspiration?
I find inspiration in working with communities to ensure local plans and development projects consider their needs and aspirations. This could include working with students to ensure local parks and public spaces are designed for them to use; working with a developer to ensure their project is not only profitable but delivers a tangible community benefit; or working with women and girls to ensure public transit stops and paths are safe to use at night.
I also find inspiration in listening to our First Nations peoples describe the lands, waterways, seas and skies they have a connection and responsibility to take care of. Caring for Country is critical for urban planners.
What courses do you teach and what is your favourite?
Currently, I teach several courses in the Bachelor of Regional and Town Planning:
- PLAN1000 The Planning Challenge
- PLAN1100 Foundational Ideas for Planning
- PLAN4100 Advanced Planning Practice; and
- ADPS3300/ADPS7300 Industry Placement.
In each course, I embed opportunities for students to get out of the classroom and meet with the government and the built environment professions.
In 2024, first-year students visited Queensland rural towns Boonah and Beaudesert. They researched and planned a community resilience hub for the local community.
The final year students completed a 2-day development intensive in the UQ Brisbane City campus where they engaged with recent graduates as well as experienced practitioners.
My favourite course that I teach is PLAN1000 The Planning Challenge, an introductory course in the first semester of the degree.
We introduce statutory planning, interactive mapping and urban design concepts. Over 3 days, we travel around Southeast Queensland and investigate what it means to be a planner. Students put on their ‘planning goggles’, and we explore what it means to plan and design places and spaces that have meaning, are sustainable, prosperous and open to all.
UQ Bachelor of Regional and Town Planning students get to visit rural Queensland cities to help them better plan their communities. Image: Alexander - stock.adobe.com
5 fun facts about regional and town planning
1. As an urban planner, you can work on mega projects including the 2032 Olympics and Paralympic Games or a health and innovation precinct in inner-city Melbourne. Or small but impactful projects such as an affordable housing project in central Queensland. You design innovation and education precincts, develop community facility strategies and work to protect the Great Barrier Reef.
2. Planning degrees from The University of Queensland are accredited by the Planning Institute of Australia. With your degree, you can work in any state across Australia. UQ graduates also work internationally in countries such as the UK, Hong Kong, Canada and New Zealand.
3. Planning is a young, in-demand profession. There are over 13,600 planners in Australia, and the majority of them are under 40 years of age. Currently, there is a global shortage of planners, and in Australia, we will need another 2,500 planners by 2026.
Find out how gen Z is shaping our future cities.
4. Planners are very happy people. In a recent survey of planning professionals, 58% of respondents reported being extremely happy or very happy with their career right now. Compared to just 3% who were very unhappy or extremely unhappy.
5. Did you know that Queensland's first town planning scheme was developed in 1935 for Mackay, before Brisbane City Council in 1944?
What advice would you give any high school students considering studying regional and town planning?
Go for it! The planet and local communities need urban planners who can help design and plan cities and suburbs that are sustainable, resilient, liveable and inclusive of all people.
Interested in a future career designing our cities and towns? Explore UQ's Bachelor of Regional and Town Planning today.
