There has been posts where people have questioned their opportunities and their future in the profession as a registered architect - I did pass the ARE but it wouldn't transfer to my home state because I didn't have a five-year professional degree per NCARB requirements - many substantial projects come from Federal, State, Local, and Tribal governments where much project planning work (including site analysis, programming, and budgeting) has already taken place on an administrative level - I have a Masters in Public Administration and a graduate education in Community & Regional Planning and write RFP's for both architectural and planning projects - there is so much opportunity in government service especially with the American Institute of Certified Planner (AICP) designation - your most secure and creative jobs with excellent benefits come from government employment including a secure retirement - as a Building Designer and wide-area Planner I believe this aligned profession has never received the respect it deserves ...
I think it's perceived as being un-glamourous relative to architecture where the media tells us that whatever sexy starchitect of the moment is poised to save us all with their groovy new building. I also think the heavy use of data and rational methodologies in planning practice keeps away the charlatans and publicity-seekers who keep architecture in the media limelight and have also colonized US architectural academia. These architecture teachers would often suggest to us students that engineers and planners were boring people in boring disciplines and not smart or creative.
I suspect that the planning community is also smaller since there are fewer academic programs training new planners (compared to architecture) and I guess fewer jobs? Maybe the OP can weigh in on that.
well said - I studied Architecture for three years and Planning for two years at a graduate level - the shared disciplines and technical approaches is amazing ...
My brother is head city planner in a city of California. He’s had a lot of positive influence, more than a single architect would be able to have on creating a vibrant walkable and bike-friendly city. However his job is mostly political and code focused. Much of his day is focused on dealing with local and corporate stakeholders and land use planning. It’s apples to oranges.
Community and regional planning is what makes successful and prosperous communities. It also is a major contributing factor to creating great architecture.
It's a difficult profession with a lot of moving parts. I seriously doubt most architects could actually perform it successfully.
Americans do not want the government to govern... planning is a public enterprise and it doesn't have much oxygen. Unless I'm mistaken, there just aren't as many public service jobs as there are architecture jobs in private practice. Especially outside of metro areas.
Working as a planner in a small community was a very satisfying experience. The work I did was beneficial to the community and felt that there was a contribution to making buildings better. Met everyone who was anyone in town in either construction and development. Ultimately paved the way for me to run my own firm successfully in the same small town.
Why is Community & Regional Planning still the stepchild to Architecture?
There has been posts where people have questioned their opportunities and their future in the profession as a registered architect - I did pass the ARE but it wouldn't transfer to my home state because I didn't have a five-year professional degree per NCARB requirements - many substantial projects come from Federal, State, Local, and Tribal governments where much project planning work (including site analysis, programming, and budgeting) has already taken place on an administrative level - I have a Masters in Public Administration and a graduate education in Community & Regional Planning and write RFP's for both architectural and planning projects - there is so much opportunity in government service especially with the American Institute of Certified Planner (AICP) designation - your most secure and creative jobs with excellent benefits come from government employment including a secure retirement - as a Building Designer and wide-area Planner I believe this aligned profession has never received the respect it deserves ...
Long live Art Vandalay, Architect ...
I think it's perceived as being un-glamourous relative to architecture where the media tells us that whatever sexy starchitect of the moment is poised to save us all with their groovy new building. I also think the heavy use of data and rational methodologies in planning practice keeps away the charlatans and publicity-seekers who keep architecture in the media limelight and have also colonized US architectural academia. These architecture teachers would often suggest to us students that engineers and planners were boring people in boring disciplines and not smart or creative.
I suspect that the planning community is also smaller since there are fewer academic programs training new planners (compared to architecture) and I guess fewer jobs? Maybe the OP can weigh in on that.
well said - I studied Architecture for three years and Planning for two years at a graduate level - the shared disciplines and technical approaches is amazing ...
My brother is head city planner in a city of California. He’s had a lot of positive influence, more than a single architect would be able to have on creating a vibrant walkable and bike-friendly city. However his job is mostly political and code focused. Much of his day is focused on dealing with local and corporate stakeholders and land use planning. It’s apples to oranges.
you just described "administration" as defined as "plan, direct, and control" - sound familiar? ...
Community and regional planning is what makes successful and prosperous communities. It also is a major contributing factor to creating great architecture.
It's a difficult profession with a lot of moving parts. I seriously doubt most architects could actually perform it successfully.
It's just another weirdness unique to the US of A. Nowhere else exists such compartmentalization of knowledge.
Americans do not want the government to govern... planning is a public enterprise and it doesn't have much oxygen. Unless I'm mistaken, there just aren't as many public service jobs as there are architecture jobs in private practice. Especially outside of metro areas.
Working as a planner in a small community was a very satisfying experience. The work I did was beneficial to the community and felt that there was a contribution to making buildings better. Met everyone who was anyone in town in either construction and development. Ultimately paved the way for me to run my own firm successfully in the same small town.
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