I have a Master's in urban design (BA in urban planning, but also took courses in architecture) and joined an architecture firm after graduation. When I was hired, they told me they have urban design project and I was content. Only after I started there, I realized they only had this one campus design/planning project, the rest are all architecture projects. And from my 2 year work experience, I really wonder where do urban designers fit in the industry? For small projects, architects do the who package, for bigger projects like a resort etc, architects collaborate with planners, I just really don't see where urban designers can be involved? except maybe the earliest conceptual stage, then SD, DD, CD, CA... has pretty much nothing to do with urban designers.
My classmates from the urban design program mostly all found jobs in their original field (architecture, LA, urban planning...）Urban designers are so rare, if you are one, how is it like to be an urban designer? Do you work in a very big firm? Government? Are there many opportunities in this field?
I just searched Urban Designer job posts in the bay area, and the results are 0!!! I start to feel I might need another Master's degree in a more specific field like planning or architecture because I might never find anything in urban design.
whistler
Jan 29, 21 4:23 pm
An Urban Designer is a catch-22 ... not and architect, not a landscape architect, not a planner ( all professional degrees with associations that regulate their profession ). I am afraid you don't fit into any of those classifications and therefore you will likely get you "grass mown" by all of them as clients will be looking for specific tasks or scopes of work from all of them. Your best bet is to apply your skills and experiences into searching public sector jobs in planning departments where some basic design skills can be a real asset.
Beaver
Jan 31, 21 6:38 pm
Thanks for your response! I'd like to work in public sector but I also heard from friends that those jobs could be quite boring, which I don't know how true it is. So I'm a bit confused right now of what I want to do for my career.
whistler
Jan 29, 21 4:24 pm
PS. I am a registered Architect and Landscape Architect and spent several years working in a Planning Department for a local authority
thisisnotmyname
Jan 29, 21 4:41 pm
Your experience mirrors what I have seen: firms will hire an urban designer, but the flow of urban design projects for them is too sporadic and then they end up leaving. I suspect you will have to relocate in order to find a position at a firm with a steady sustained flow of the urban design and/or campus planning work you want to do. I suspect these firms are clustered in NYC or nearby in the Northeast.
Beaver
Jan 31, 21 6:46 pm
I actually enjoy relocating, it's a lot of fun working in a new city with different culture. At least before I have kids and settle down somewhere. I'm currently in east Canada, planning on moving to west America, but without knowing well the industries there and with the pandemic situation, I'm a bit hesitant. But thank you for your suggestion!
Broadstreetexpresstrain
Feb 3, 21 7:21 pm
I am an architect whose major focus in grad school was urban design with a minor in city regional planning. I knew since I was 10 years old that I wanted to design large buildings in large cities. over the course of my career I have used some of what I have learned studying urban design and city planning......it has influenced my design approach..... I have been fortunate enough to manage some large urban building designs but not large scale campus or city urban design. So few architects in America focus thier work exclusively on urban design......afterall, politically many Americans dislike cities and neglect them nationally. Not until there is a revived interest in recignizing that cities are social, political, economic, academic and intellectual power houses that energizes the nation, will we begin to focus on sustaining the health, wellbeing and physical conditions and yes design of cities.........afterall the city beautiful movement helped spark an interest in urban parks and important civic buildings like government complexes, libraries, schools and institutions
Urban design is still practiced globally as internationally, countries focus on cities and their continued growth.
I have a Master's in urban design (BA in urban planning, but also took courses in architecture) and joined an architecture firm after graduation. When I was hired, they told me they have urban design project and I was content. Only after I started there, I realized they only had this one campus design/planning project, the rest are all architecture projects. And from my 2 year work experience, I really wonder where do urban designers fit in the industry? For small projects, architects do the who package, for bigger projects like a resort etc, architects collaborate with planners, I just really don't see where urban designers can be involved? except maybe the earliest conceptual stage, then SD, DD, CD, CA... has pretty much nothing to do with urban designers.
My classmates from the urban design program mostly all found jobs in their original field (architecture, LA, urban planning...）Urban designers are so rare, if you are one, how is it like to be an urban designer? Do you work in a very big firm? Government? Are there many opportunities in this field?
I just searched Urban Designer job posts in the bay area, and the results are 0!!! I start to feel I might need another Master's degree in a more specific field like planning or architecture because I might never find anything in urban design.
An Urban Designer is a catch-22 ... not and architect, not a landscape architect, not a planner ( all professional degrees with associations that regulate their profession ). I am afraid you don't fit into any of those classifications and therefore you will likely get you "grass mown" by all of them as clients will be looking for specific tasks or scopes of work from all of them. Your best bet is to apply your skills and experiences into searching public sector jobs in planning departments where some basic design skills can be a real asset.
Thanks for your response! I'd like to work in public sector but I also heard from friends that those jobs could be quite boring, which I don't know how true it is. So I'm a bit confused right now of what I want to do for my career.
PS. I am a registered Architect and Landscape Architect and spent several years working in a Planning Department for a local authority
Your experience mirrors what I have seen: firms will hire an urban designer, but the flow of urban design projects for them is too sporadic and then they end up leaving. I suspect you will have to relocate in order to find a position at a firm with a steady sustained flow of the urban design and/or campus planning work you want to do. I suspect these firms are clustered in NYC or nearby in the Northeast.
I actually enjoy relocating, it's a lot of fun working in a new city with different culture. At least before I have kids and settle down somewhere. I'm currently in east Canada, planning on moving to west America, but without knowing well the industries there and with the pandemic situation, I'm a bit hesitant. But thank you for your suggestion!
I am an architect whose major focus in grad school was urban design with a minor in city regional planning. I knew since I was 10 years old that I wanted to design large buildings in large cities. over the course of my career I have used some of what I have learned studying urban design and city planning......it has influenced my design approach..... I have been fortunate enough to manage some large urban building designs but not large scale campus or city urban design. So few architects in America focus thier work exclusively on urban design......afterall, politically many Americans dislike cities and neglect them nationally. Not until there is a revived interest in recignizing that cities are social, political, economic, academic and intellectual power houses that energizes the nation, will we begin to focus on sustaining the health, wellbeing and physical conditions and yes design of cities.........afterall the city beautiful movement helped spark an interest in urban parks and important civic buildings like government complexes, libraries, schools and institutions
Urban design is still practiced globally as internationally, countries focus on cities and their continued growth.
BSET