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Urban Planner resume skills and keywords

In 32 Urban Planner job postings from 21 employers analysed on October 23, 2026, the most requested skills are Zoning (81 %), Urban Planning (75 %), GIS (59 %), Communication (53 %) and Driver license (41 %). Of the top 40 skills, 29 are hard skills, tools or certifications and 11 are soft skills.

Download the full list as a CSV or check your own resume against a posting with the free keyword scanner.

Top 40 skills in Urban Planner job postings

Skills requested in 32 Urban Planner job postings, by share of postings
SkillShare of postingsType
Zoning81 %Hard skill
Urban Planning75 %Hard skill
GIS59 %Hard skill
Communication53 %Soft skill
Driver license41 %Certification
Urban Design34 %Hard skill
Permitting28 %Hard skill
Community Engagement25 %Hard skill
Microsoft Office22 %Tool
Project Management22 %Hard skill
Surveying22 %Hard skill
Interpersonal skills22 %Soft skill
Organizational skills19 %Soft skill
Collaboration19 %Soft skill
Research and Analysis19 %Hard skill
Analytical skills19 %Soft skill
Code Enforcement19 %Hard skill
Microsoft Excel19 %Tool
Decision making19 %Soft skill
Creativity16 %Soft skill
Geographic Information Systems16 %Hard skill
Attention to detail16 %Soft skill
Housing16 %Hard skill
Microsoft Word16 %Tool
Customer service16 %Soft skill
Preservation16 %Hard skill
AutoCAD12 %Tool
MS Project12 %Tool
Relationship building12 %Soft skill
Client Interaction12 %Hard skill
Civil 3D12 %Hard skill
Adobe Illustrator12 %Tool
Graphic design12 %Hard skill
Public Policy12 %Hard skill
ArcGIS12 %Tool
Adobe Creative Suite12 %Tool
SketchUp12 %Tool
Orientation12 %Hard skill
Feasibility Studies9 %Hard skill
Leadership9 %Soft skill

Hard skills vs soft skills vs tools and certifications

Hard skills (19)

Soft skills (11)

Tools and software (9)

Certifications and licenses (1)

Keyword phrases recruiters use

Multi-word phrases that recur across these urban planner postings, with the share of postings that use each one.

long range 44 %site plan 34 %maintain effective 34 %professional planning 34 %range planning 31 %development review 31 %project manager 28 %landscape architecture 25 %plan reviews 25 %property owners 25 %public administration 25 %project schedules 22 %comprehensive plans 22 %engineering surveying 22 %architecture geography 22 %

How to use this on your resume

Treat the table as a checklist, not a script. Put the skills you genuinely have in your skills section, using the same wording as the posting, and back the top ones with a bullet that shows the result.

Each job posting differs from the average, so compare your resume with the actual ad: paste it into the resume keyword scanner to see which terms you already have and which are missing. The ATS keywords guide explains where to place them so applicant tracking systems read them.

Skip any skill you cannot talk about in an interview; a keyword that falls apart under one question costs more than it gains. For a full layout with these skills in context, see the Urban Planner resume example. Then prepare for the Urban Planner interview questions that test them.

Build a urban planner resume with these skills

Start in the editor, tailor your bullets to the job you want and download an ATS-friendly resume.

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Urban Planner resume skills: FAQ

Which skills matter most for a Urban Planner resume?

In 32 Urban Planner job postings analysed on October 23, 2026, the most requested skills were Zoning (81 %), Urban Planning (75 %), GIS (59 %), Communication (53 %) and Driver license (41 %). Lead your skills section with the ones you can back up, and show them in your experience bullets too.

Should I list soft skills on a Urban Planner resume?

Yes, but prove them rather than list them. 11 of the top 40 skills in these postings are soft skills, led by Communication (53 % of postings). Show them through results in your bullets, for example a project you coordinated or a process you explained.

Which tools and certifications do Urban Planner postings ask for?

The tools and certifications named most often were Driver license (41 %), Microsoft Office (22 %), Microsoft Excel (19 %), Microsoft Word (16 %), AutoCAD (12 %) and MS Project (12 %). List the ones you have exactly as the posting writes them.

Where does this data come from?

From 32 public Urban Planner job postings at 21 employers, collected on October 23, 2026 from Greenhouse (5) and other public job postings (27). A skill's share is the number of postings that mention it divided by 32. The data is updated quarterly and can be downloaded as a CSV.

Method and data

Source: 32 public job postings for urban planner roles (titles such as City Planner, Urban Planner / Urban Designer, Junior Land Use Planner and Land Use Planner) at 21 employers, collected on October 23, 2026 from employer applicant tracking system job boards and the open web: Greenhouse 5 and other public job postings 27. Employers in the sample include AKS Engineering & Forestry, LLC, Atwell, LLC, apacalifornia, Aoka, City of Los Angeles and City of Akron. A skill's share is the number of postings that mention it divided by 32. Updated quarterly. Download the data: urban-planner-resume-skills.csv (CC BY 4.0). Browse skills for other roles.