A website has been recently launched by the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) to allow the general public to gain an understanding of planning professions and ultimately, encourage young people to develop a career in the industry.
The website is very user-friendly, drawing users to the reasons why people may choose to become planners based on the differences they can make to everyday lives. For example, headings are used to describe areas that planners may have the opportunity to influence. These include: ‘Access to green space’, ‘Climate change and the environment’, ‘Making towns work for everyone’ and ‘Health and wellbeing’.
In 2021, just 18% of public sector planners felt they were adequately resourced, meaning fewer than one in five planners felt their teams were not equipped with the relevant resources to deliver the services they were required to. An additional survey was undertaken, revealing that 72% of the 2000 people who took part claimed to ‘vaguely’ understand the role of a town planner, however, they did not ‘truly comprehend’ the scope of the profession and were unaware of the positive impacts planners could have on local communities, the economy and the climate.
There will be regular updates of case studies posted on the website, relating to the areas in which planners can steer a change. The idea of the site is to help people understand the importance and value of the industry today. This way, a more inclusive demographic can be targeted by helping those who are interested in becoming a town planner and those who simply want to understand more about they can improve their communities through planning. The link to the website can be found here.