Urban Designer

As an urban designer, you work on making cities better. You might plan a new neighbourhood, redesign a high street, or create a public park. You study what people need (places to shop, rest, meet friends, play), what the buildings and roads are like now, and how nature fits in. Then you draw plans showing trees, pavements, shops, homes and meeting spaces arranged in a way that works.

Your day mixes site visits (walking round to see what's there), meetings with architects and engineers to agree on plans, and computer design work using special software. You also talk to local people to understand what they want their neighbourhood to feel like. You need to care about how space makes people feel - does a street feel safe at night? Can an older person get around easily? Do children have somewhere to play? The job is creative, practical and collaborative, and you see your ideas turn into real places where people actually live.