AI exposure by occupation, O*NET 19-3051.00

Will AI replace Urban and Regional Planners?

Urban and Regional Planners: AI can already handle 13 of 25 tasks; the work mostly needs a frontier-tier model.

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Every task, scored

The 25 tasks O*NET 30.3 lists for Urban and Regional Planners, from most to least exposed. 13 reach 60 or more, the level at which AI already handles a task.

Task AI exposure Evidence Model tier Importance
Conduct field investigations, surveys, impact studies, or other research to compile and analyze data on economic, social, regulatory, or physical factors affecting land use. 80 Estimated Efficient 4.3
Research, compile, analyze and organize information from maps, reports, investigations, and books for use in reports and special projects. 80 Estimated Standard 3.0
Create, prepare, or requisition graphic or narrative reports on land use data, including land area maps overlaid with geographic variables, such as population density. 75 Estimated Efficient 4.6
Determine the effects of regulatory limitations on land use projects. 75 Estimated Standard 3.9
Advocate sustainability to community groups, government agencies, the general public, or special interest groups. 75 Estimated Frontier 3.6
Prepare reports, using statistics, charts, and graphs, to illustrate planning studies in areas such as population, land use, or zoning. 75 Estimated Efficient 3.0
Respond to public inquiries and complaints. 75 Estimated Standard 3.0
Evaluate proposals for infrastructure projects or other development for environmental impact or sustainability. 65 Estimated Standard 4.3
Assess the feasibility of land use proposals and identify necessary changes. 65 Estimated Standard 4.1
Review and evaluate environmental impact reports pertaining to private or public planning projects or programs. 65 Estimated Standard 3.9
Advise planning officials on project feasibility, cost-effectiveness, regulatory conformance, or possible alternatives. 60 Estimated Frontier 4.6
Mediate community disputes or assist in developing alternative plans or recommendations for programs or projects. 60 Estimated Frontier 4.4
Coordinate work with economic consultants or architects during the formulation of plans or the design of large pieces of infrastructure. 60 Estimated Standard 3.7
Design, promote, or administer government plans or policies affecting land use, zoning, public utilities, community facilities, housing, or transportation. 50 Estimated Frontier 4.7
Hold public meetings with government officials, social scientists, lawyers, developers, the public, or special interest groups to formulate, develop, or address issues regarding land use or community plans. 50 Estimated Standard 4.6
Discuss with planning officials the purpose of land use projects, such as transportation, conservation, residential, commercial, industrial, or community use. 50 Estimated Standard 4.2
Develop plans for public or alternative transportation systems for urban or regional locations to reduce carbon output associated with transportation. 50 Estimated Frontier 3.8
Supervise or coordinate the work of urban planning technicians or technologists. 50 Estimated Frontier 3.8
Identify opportunities or develop plans for sustainability projects or programs to improve energy efficiency, minimize pollution or waste, or restore natural systems. 50 Estimated Frontier 3.8
Investigate property availability for purposes of development. 50 Estimated Efficient 3.3
Prepare, develop and maintain maps and databases. 50 Estimated Frontier 3.0
Recommend approval, denial, or conditional approval of proposals. 40 Observed Standard 4.3
Conduct interviews, surveys and site inspections concerning factors that affect land usage, such as zoning, traffic flow and housing. 20 Estimated Efficient 3.0
Prepare, maintain and update files and records, including land use data and statistics. 20 Estimated Efficient 3.0
Keep informed about economic or legal issues involved in zoning codes, building codes, or environmental regulations. 15 Estimated No tier 4.2

Observed: scored from AI use recorded in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), 1 of 25 tasks. Estimated: scored from the task's O*NET 30.3 work activity, 24 of 25. Importance is O*NET's 1 to 5 rating of how central the task is. Model tier is the lowest tier that can do the task under the published rubric; "No tier" marks hands-on work.

The model tier this role needs

A frontier-tier model or lower covers 96% of the role's importance-weighted task work. 96% of the work is something AI can address at some tier, and 4% is hands-on.

Efficient, standard and frontier tiers come from the JobRoute model tier reference. The recommended tier is the lowest one that covers 80% of the work AI can address. How the method works.

Wages, employment and outlook

US employment
44,230
Median annual wage
$89,320
Middle half of earners
$72,020 to $110,030
Projected change, 2024 to 2034
+3.4%

Employment and wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, national. Projection: BLS Employment Projections 2024 to 2034.

Adjacent roles

The occupations that reuse the most of this role's skills, with the usual time to move. These are the first places to look when you plan to redeploy or retrain people in this role.

Skill overlap and transition time from the JobRoute role adjacency graph on O*NET 30.3 skills.

Questions about Urban and Regional Planners and AI

Will AI replace Urban and Regional Planners?

AI already handles 13 of the 25 tasks O*NET lists for this occupation, at a task exposure of 60 or more, and the role's importance-weighted exposure is 56 out of 100. JobRoute scores tasks, not whole jobs, so the score shows how much of the work changes rather than whether the job disappears. BLS projects employment to change by +3.4% from 2024 to 2034.

What is the AI exposure of Urban and Regional Planners?

56 out of 100 on JobRoute's task exposure measure, the importance-weighted average of the role's O*NET task scores. Higher means more of the work is AI-doable today. 1 of the 25 task scores are observed in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), and the other 24 are estimated from each task's O*NET work activity.

Which Urban and Regional Planners tasks can AI already do?

The tasks with the highest exposure are: Conduct field investigations, surveys, impact studies, or other research to compile and analyze data on economic, social, regulatory, or physical factors affecting land use; Research, compile, analyze and organize information from maps, reports, investigations, and books for use in reports and special projects; Create, prepare, or requisition graphic or narrative reports on land use data, including land area maps overlaid with geographic variables, such as population density. They are three of the 13 tasks that reach 60 or more.

What AI model tier does this role need?

A frontier-tier model or lower covers 96% of the role's importance-weighted task work. JobRoute assigns each task the lowest tier that can do it under a published rubric and recommends the lowest tier that covers 80% of the work AI can address.

How many people work as Urban and Regional Planners, and what do they earn?

44,230 people in the United States, with a median annual wage of $89,320 (BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025). BLS Employment Projections expect a change of +3.4% from 2024 to 2034.

How to cite

Data version 2026-11-02, JobRoute method v1.0.0. Download all occupations or this occupation as JSON. Methodology.

JobRoute (2026). AI exposure: Urban and Regional Planners. Data version 2026-11-02, method v1.0.0. Built on O*NET 30.3, BLS OEWS May 2025 and the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026). CC BY 4.0. https://www.jobroute.ai/jobs/urban-and-regional-planners

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