Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Urban Assistant

🎯 Role Definition

The Urban Assistant supports planners, project managers, and community teams by preparing technical documents, producing GIS maps, coordinating stakeholder engagement, managing permitting workflows, and assisting with land use analysis. This role blends technical skills (GIS, drafting, data analysis) with strong interpersonal abilities (public meetings, stakeholder coordination) to accelerate project delivery across zoning, design review, transportation, and environmental review projects. The Urban Assistant acts as the operational backbone for planning teams—ensuring compliance with local policy, timely submission of materials, and clear communication with developers, agencies, and community members.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

GIS Technician or Cartographic Assistant
Planning Intern or Planning Technician
Administrative Assistant in a municipal or consulting environment

Advancement To:

Junior/Associate Urban Planner
Senior Planning Technician or Project Coordinator
Development Review Specialist or Zoning Analyst

Lateral Moves:

Community Outreach Coordinator
Permit Coordinator or Building Services Specialist

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Prepare and maintain detailed GIS maps, spatial datasets, and base maps to support zoning, land use analysis, transportation studies, and environmental assessments using ArcGIS, QGIS, or equivalent tools.
Assist in the production of site plans, concept diagrams, and plan sets using AutoCAD, Illustrator, SketchUp, or similar drafting and visualization software for planning commission packets and design review.
Compile, edit, and format planning reports, staff memos, permit application materials, conditions of approval, and public notices that comply with municipal standards and statutory requirements.
Support the processing and tracking of development applications, permits, and entitlements—ensuring deadlines, fees, and application completeness for subdivisions, site plans, conditional use permits, and variances.
Coordinate and schedule public meetings, neighborhood workshops, and stakeholder briefings; prepare presentation materials, renderings, and handouts to facilitate effective public engagement.
Conduct field visits and site inventories to document existing site conditions, right-of-way constraints, utilities, and land use contexts; prepare photographic records and field notes.
Perform preliminary land use research including zoning code interpretation, general plan policy review, and code compliance checks to identify issues and recommend next steps.
Collect, clean, and analyze demographic, housing, and transportation datasets to support planning studies, grant applications, and performance monitoring.
Prepare and manage GIS layers for parcel data, zoning boundaries, aerial imagery, and infrastructure networks; publish web maps and story maps for internal use and public portals.
Assist planners with environmental review checklists, mitigation measures, and coordination with environmental consultants to support CEQA/NEPA documentation and compliance.
Draft clear, client-facing correspondence and internal memos addressing project status, next steps, and action items for developers, applicants, and partner agencies.
Maintain project files, permit logs, meeting minutes, and electronic document management systems to ensure auditability and timely retrieval of records.
Support interdepartmental coordination with public works, transportation, building, and utilities teams to resolve technical issues and streamline review processes.
Prepare cost estimates, scheduling timelines, and scope summaries to support budgeting and project management for small-scale planning projects and community programs.
Translate technical planning concepts into plain-language materials for public distribution, social media posts, and community newsletters to improve transparency and civic participation.
Assist with grant research and the preparation of grant applications, attachments, and deliverables related to housing, climate resilience, and infrastructure funding.
Monitor and summarize policy, code, and legislative updates at municipal, regional, and state levels that may affect local planning and development review.
Support accessibility and equitable engagement efforts by coordinating translation services, ADA-compliant meeting logistics, and outreach to underrepresented communities.
Create visualizations, charts, and infographics from complex datasets to support presentations to planning commissions, city councils, and community groups.
Provide administrative support to planning staff: calendar management, invoice review, tracking consultant deliverables, and maintaining vendor and contractor records.
Assist with transportation and mobility planning tasks such as bike/pedestrian counts, intersection inventories, transit stop assessments, and micro-mobility studies.
Participate in project kickoff meetings, preparation of RFPs, consultant scoping, and evaluation of technical proposals for planning and design services.

Secondary Functions

Support ad-hoc research requests and exploratory analysis for special projects, pilot programs, and policy evaluations.
Maintain and document standard operating procedures (SOPs) for GIS data management, plan submission checklists, and community engagement protocols.
Contribute to the organization’s data strategy by identifying recurring data needs, metadata standards, and opportunities for automation (e.g., scripted map exports, template creation).
Assist in translating business or policy needs into technical requirements for mapping, permitting software, and project tracking tools.
Participate in sprint planning, cross-functional meetings, and agile-style delivery sessions to improve planning operations and service delivery timelines.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Proficient in GIS software (ArcGIS Desktop/Pro, ArcGIS Online, or QGIS) with experience producing printed maps and interactive web maps.
Practical experience with CAD or vector drawing tools (AutoCAD, MicroStation, SketchUp, or Adobe Illustrator) for site plan and diagram production.
Familiarity with zoning codes, land use regulations, general plan elements, and municipal permitting processes.
Strong competency with Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint) including data tables, pivot tables, and presentation preparation.
Experience preparing and formatting planning reports, staff reports, conditions of approval, and public notices.
Ability to collect, clean, and analyze spatial and tabular datasets (census, parcel, traffic counts) and create digestible visualizations.
Working knowledge of CEQA/NEPA basics, environmental checklist preparation, and mitigation monitoring processes.
Experience with project management and permitting tracking software (e.g., Accela, PermitLink, OpenGov) or similar case management systems.
Basic graphic design and data visualization skills (Infogram, Tableau, Adobe Creative Suite) to produce community-facing materials.
Familiarity with public engagement platforms, social media outreach, and online survey tools (e.g., SurveyMonkey, Bang the Table).
Basic familiarity with transportation modeling data, traffic counts, and multimodal planning concepts.
Understanding of accessibility, ADA requirements, and inclusive engagement best practices.

Soft Skills

Clear and persuasive written communication for technical reports, public notices, and stakeholder correspondence.
Strong verbal communication and public presentation skills; comfortable facilitating community meetings and virtual workshops.
Excellent organizational skills with strong attention to detail and the ability to manage multiple concurrent projects and deadlines.
Customer-service orientation with diplomacy and the ability to manage contentious public interactions calmly and professionally.
Problem-solving mindset with practical judgment to escalate complex policy or technical issues appropriately.
Collaborative team player who can coordinate across departments, consultants, and external agencies.
Cultural competency and ability to work respectfully with diverse populations and multilingual communities.
Time management and prioritization skills to handle a mix of administrative tasks and technical deliverables.
Adaptability and willingness to learn new software tools, policy domains, and evolving planning practices.
Ethical judgement and sensitivity to confidentiality when handling private applicant materials and personnel records.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Bachelor’s degree in Urban Planning, Geography, Environmental Studies, Architecture, Civil Engineering, Public Policy, or a closely related field.

Preferred Education:

Master’s degree in Urban Planning, City/Regional Planning, Urban Design, or related discipline preferred for mid-level or specialized roles.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Urban and Regional Planning
Geography / Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
Environmental Science / Environmental Policy
Architecture / Landscape Architecture
Civil Engineering / Transportation Planning
Public Policy / Public Administration

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

1–3 years experience in municipal planning offices, planning consulting firms, transportation agencies, or related non-profits; internships or practicum experience may qualify for entry-level roles.

Preferred:

2–5+ years of relevant experience including demonstrated GIS/map production, permit processing, public outreach, and support for land use or development review projects. Prior municipal government or planning commission support experience is a strong plus.