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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Urban Development Analyst

💰 $ - $

🎯 Role Definition

The Urban Development Analyst is a cross-disciplinary planning professional who applies spatial analysis, policy evaluation, economic and demographic research, and stakeholder engagement to support smart, equitable, and sustainable growth. This role synthesizes GIS mapping, data modeling, land use and zoning review, transportation and infrastructure analysis, and community consultation to produce evidence-based recommendations for municipal governments, planning agencies, and development teams. The analyst translates complex technical data into actionable policy, capital project advice, funding/grant strategies, and clear public-facing reports.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Junior Planner / Planning Assistant (Urban Planner I)
  • GIS Technician or GIS Analyst
  • Research Analyst in housing, transportation, or economic development

Advancement To:

  • Senior Urban Development Analyst
  • Urban Planner / Project Planner
  • Transportation or Housing Policy Analyst
  • Development Project Manager
  • Planning Program Manager or Director of Planning

Lateral Moves:

  • Transportation Planner
  • Housing Policy Analyst
  • Economic Development Specialist
  • Environmental Planner

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Conduct comprehensive spatial and statistical analyses using ArcGIS, QGIS, Python, R, and SQL to evaluate land use patterns, development feasibility, density scenarios, and neighborhood change, producing maps, dashboards, and reproducible analysis for planning decisions.
  • Prepare detailed land use and zoning reviews, including interpretation of municipal zoning codes, overlay districts, development standards, and site plan requirements to advise permitting, rezoning, and variance applications.
  • Lead demographic, housing market, and economic analyses to identify affordability gaps, population trends, displacement risk, and opportunities for inclusionary housing or affordable housing investments.
  • Design and run transportation and mobility assessments (pedestrian, bike, transit, and vehicular) that integrate travel demand data, traffic counts, and modeling outputs (e.g., TransCAD, VISSIM) to inform complete streets and multimodal plans.
  • Develop and maintain geodatabases and spatial datasets (parcels, parcels attributes, land use, infrastructure, environmental constraints) ensuring metadata, version control, and data integrity for ongoing planning programs.
  • Prepare environmental and social impact screening and contribute to environmental assessment documents (EIA/IEE), identifying constraints such as floodplains, wetlands, contaminated sites, and climate resilience considerations.
  • Conduct feasibility and financial analysis for development projects, including pro forma modeling, cost/revenue estimates, and public subsidy scenarios to evaluate public-private partnership viability and incentives.
  • Draft high-quality planning reports, policy memos, grant applications, design guidelines, technical appendices, and executive summaries targeted to elected officials, agency leadership, developers, and the public.
  • Facilitate community engagement sessions, workshops, public hearings, and stakeholder interviews; synthesize input into design options and policy recommendations while managing conflict and promoting equitable participation.
  • Coordinate interdepartmental and interagency planning processes (public works, transportation, housing, utilities, parks) to align land use decisions with infrastructure capacity and capital improvement plans.
  • Manage or support competitive grant writing, funding strategy development, and administration for federal, state, and philanthropic programs (e.g., HUD, DOT, EPA brownfields) including performance reporting and compliance tracking.
  • Develop scenario-based land use models and build-out analyses to quantify development capacity, infrastructure needs, and fiscal impacts under alternative policy scenarios.
  • Support site planning and urban design reviews by producing conceptual site/layout plans, massing studies, and visual simulations to evaluate neighborhood form, streetscape, and public realm impacts.
  • Monitor and evaluate plan implementation metrics and KPIs (housing production, affordable units, VMT, tree canopy, equity indicators), creating dashboards and monthly/quarterly progress reports to support adaptive management.
  • Provide technical review of development applications, environmental permits, and infrastructure proposals; recommend conditions of approval, mitigation measures, and performance standards to protect public interest.
  • Conduct cost-benefit and cost-effectiveness assessments for transportation and infrastructure projects, integrating lifecycle costs, maintenance impacts, and funding strategies.
  • Support policy development and code reform initiatives (form-based codes, inclusionary zoning, TOD policies) by preparing comparative analyses, best-practice research, and draft ordinance language.
  • Lead field data collection campaigns—site visits, inventories, street-level audits, and stakeholder mapping—to ground-truth datasets and enrich qualitative insights for plan recommendations.
  • Use advanced visualization tools (Tableau, Power BI, Adobe Illustrator, SketchUp) to create compelling maps, story maps, infographic briefings, and presentation materials that communicate complex findings clearly.
  • Provide subject-matter expertise during public meetings and hearings, presenting technical evidence, answering in-depth questions, and representing the planning team to elected bodies and community groups.
  • Supervise or mentor junior analysts, interns, and consultants; manage project timelines, budgets, scope, and deliverables to ensure high-quality outcomes and knowledge transfer.
  • Identify opportunities for sustainable and climate-resilient urban development—including green infrastructure, net-zero buildings, and heat mitigation strategies—and integrate recommendations into policy and project scopes.
  • Track and synthesize federal, state, and local regulations, grant requirements, and best practices in urban development to ensure compliance and position the organization for funding and innovation.

Secondary Functions

  • Support ad-hoc data requests and exploratory data analysis for cross-departmental initiatives, customizing spatial outputs and datasets to decision-maker needs.
  • Contribute to the organization's data strategy and roadmap by recommending tools, workflows, and standards to scale GIS and analytical capabilities.
  • Collaborate with business units to translate data needs into engineering or IT requirements and ensure integrations with asset management and permitting systems.
  • Participate in sprint planning and agile ceremonies within planning or GIS teams; help prioritize analytical work and refine user stories for technical staff.
  • Maintain public-facing data portals, interactive maps, and open data releases that enhance transparency and community access to planning information.
  • Review and test third-party modeling outputs and consultant deliverables for technical accuracy and consistency with municipal standards.
  • Assist in procurement and contract management for planning-related consultants, including scope development, evaluation criteria, and invoice verification.
  • Contribute to grant compliance documentation, performance measurement, and close-out reports for funded planning projects.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Advanced proficiency with GIS platforms, especially ArcGIS Pro and ArcGIS Online; experience with QGIS and geospatial data science workflows.
  • Strong spatial analysis and geoprocessing skills: network analysis, raster/vector modeling, geocoding, spatial joins, and suitability modeling.
  • Programming and data analysis with Python (pandas, geopandas), R (tidyverse), and SQL for database queries and reproducible analysis.
  • Experience with transportation and travel demand modeling tools (TransCAD, EMME, VISSIM) and ability to interpret model outputs for planning decisions.
  • Competence in statistical analysis and econometric methods for housing market analysis, demographic forecasting, and impact evaluation.
  • Skilled in data visualization and dashboarding tools such as Tableau, Power BI, ArcGIS Dashboards, and in producing polished cartographic outputs in Adobe Illustrator.
  • Familiarity with land development technical tools: AutoCAD, SketchUp, Rhino, or other CAD/3D design software for site planning support.
  • Knowledge of zoning codes, subdivision regulations, form-based codes, and planning policy frameworks; ability to draft or revise ordinance text.
  • Experience preparing environmental documentation and compliance materials (NEPA, SEPA, EIA), and integrating climate risk and resilience into assessments.
  • Grant writing and fund-raising experience with federal/state programs (e.g., HUD, DOT, EPA) and managing grant deliverables and compliance.
  • Database management experience: PostgreSQL/PostGIS, Microsoft SQL Server, or spatial-enabled cloud databases and data version control.
  • Proficiency with Microsoft Office suite (Excel advanced modeling, PowerPoint storytelling, Word reports) and collaboration platforms (SharePoint, Google Workspace).

Soft Skills

  • Excellent verbal and written communication; able to translate technical analysis into clear policy recommendations and public-facing materials.
  • Strong stakeholder engagement and facilitation skills with experience leading community workshops and consensus-building processes.
  • Project management capability: task prioritization, timeline management, budgeting, and vendor coordination.
  • Critical thinking and problem-solving with an evidence-based, equity-centered approach to policy and project recommendations.
  • Ability to work cross-functionally and build productive relationships with public officials, engineers, community organizations, and developers.
  • Adaptability and learning orientation to stay current with evolving planning methods, tools, and regulatory changes.
  • Attention to detail and quality control in data handling, modeling, and regulatory review.
  • Presentation skills and political acumen when briefing elected officials or representing the agency in public forums.
  • Team leadership and mentorship, including coaching junior staff and coordinating multidisciplinary project teams.
  • Cultural competency and commitment to inclusive public engagement that prioritizes underserved communities.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • Bachelor’s degree in Urban Planning, Urban Studies, Geography, Civil Engineering, Public Policy, Environmental Science, Economics, or related field.

Preferred Education:

  • Master’s degree in City/Urban Planning, Urban Design, Regional Planning, Public Policy, Geography (GIS emphasis), or a related advanced degree.

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Urban Planning / Regional Planning
  • Geography (GIS / Spatial Analysis)
  • Civil Engineering / Transportation Engineering
  • Public Policy / Public Administration
  • Environmental Science / Sustainability
  • Economics / Real Estate Development
  • Data Science with spatial analytics focus

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 2–7 years of progressive professional experience in urban planning, GIS, transportation planning, housing policy, or related fields.

Preferred:

  • 3–5+ years of directly relevant experience working on municipal or regional planning projects, including GIS-based analyses, land use policy, and public engagement.
  • Demonstrated experience preparing grant applications and managing funded planning projects.
  • Experience working in municipal government, metropolitan planning organizations, public agencies, consulting firms, or non-profit urban policy organizations is highly desirable.
  • Professional credentials such as AICP (American Institute of Certified Planners) or equivalent are preferred but not required.
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