3E03

PAY RANGE: EP19**

CITY PLANNER 2

(General)

(Urban Design)

GENERAL DEFINITION

This is planning work at the full performance level in the area of specialty. Work involves conducting detailed research and analysis and making planning recommendations. This class differs from the next lower-level class in the series in the responsibility for planning and in the complexity of the elements of large projects or smaller self-contained projects, which require the exercise of a high degree of independent judgment.  Work is performed under the general supervision of a higher-level city planner.

TYPICAL EXAMPLES OF WORK (ILLUSTRATIVE ONLY)

ALL SPECIALTIES

Researches, compiles and analyzes data relevant to the area of assignment; recommends approach and determines methodology to be used to gather data; reviews proposed plans and existing conditions; recommends modifications to plan; reviews federal, state and local regulations, legislation and ordinances applicable to assignment area; prepares plans studies and reports detailing findings; projects trends and their effect on the City and specific communities in assignment area; researches sources of funds for planning activities in the assignment area.

May attend staff, commission, community and intra-agency meetings to recommend, develop and interpret city planning programs and policies, and to resolve disputes over proposed plans or projects; responds to requests for information.

Performs related work as required.

GENERAL SPECIALTY

DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT ASSIGNMENT Performs development review, Zoning Board of Appeals review, establishes guidelines for community outreach and engagement; works with Recognized Community Organizations and City Council offices, functioning as a point of contact for development proposals and zoning revisions; coordinates with other teams on departmental work that impacts the assigned planning district; participates in the development and maintenance of a comprehensive City plan; determines existing conditions and their adequacy; integrates other appropriate proposals relevant to assigned project; obtains and/or makes projections of future needs, conducts fieldwork and may on occasion conduct group tours; reviews development proposals, writes letters of plan consistency, presents staff findings to the City Planning Commission and subcommittees on less complex assignment, and testifies at the Zoning Board of Adjustment. Assists with grant-funded projects.

            Initiates and conducts specialized zoning studies; reviews and makes recommendations on proposed councilmanic ordinances for conformance to zoning practices; conducts zoning remapping projects; reviews and analyzes zoning data obtained in field inspections.  Reviews plans as submitted for code compliance and negotiates with applicants when necessary to obtain optimal development in the City.

Assists in the preparation of district plans, neighborhood plans, and corridor plans;  collects data and survey areas for mapping of data; analyzes information by preparing alternatives or by examining susceptibility to change, market studies, issues, trends, strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats or recent investment; performs Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping and analysis; helps to direct the work of student interns; collaborates with other staff to utilize their expertise in the plan; considers community input in the planning project; formulates recommendations, strategies and implementation actions.

Attends steering committee meetings on neighborhood plans and area plans; reviews plans for consistency with City goals and good planning practices; reviews plans in relation to guidelines for formal acceptance by the agency.

Participates in urban renewal planning including the review of urban renewal actions in the assigned geographic area; prepares blight certification reports creating eligibility for urban renewal; prepares redevelopment area plans proposing new land uses, zoning and conceptual development; reviews redevelopment proposals for acquisition/condemnation of properties; helps to prepare development controls in collaboration with staff in other agencies; reviews development plans, site plans, and pro formas; evaluates experience and financial capability of developers.

Serves as liaison between the community and the Planning Commission; attends community meetings as speaker; provides technical assistance, data, maps, best practices and advice; develops effective working relationships with community leaders; obtains community input and opinions for official Planning Commission decisions; notifies community organizations of Planning Commission initiatives and the status of plans and projects.

Assists with community outreach for special projects and plans including setting up meetings, choosing venues/locations for meetings, advertising meetings, developing interactive meeting exercises and preparing presentations; applies best practices for civic engagement and citizen participation.

Seeks grant funding opportunities that can supplement agency resources and add capacity; prepares grant applications.

Assists in the management of consultant studies; performs the role of assistant to the project manager; ranks and compares consultants in collaboration with other staff; helps oversee the work of consultants; assists with community outreach during the consultant study; presents findings and recommendations at staff meetings, board meetings, and community meetings.

Coordinates planning work with related agencies, stakeholders, interest groups, non-profit organizations and elected officials.

ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING ASSIGNMENT

            Works on environmental planning studies concerned with the physical environment, such as land, climate, vegetation, wildlife, land use, water supply, sewage and septic systems, solid waste, drainage, air, noise, and water pollution, and energy resources; reviews projects for consistency with Federal, State, and local regulations; develops plans that demonstrate consistency with Federal, State, and local regulations.

COMMUNITY HEALTH PLANNING ASSIGNMENT

Reviews and makes recommendations on public health considerations into planning policy and project implementation; conducts and analyses Health Impact Assessments (HIA) and makes recommendations for District Plans and other City Planning Commission adopted and accepted plans; communicates the health impacts of planning decisions to stakeholders; presents findings and recommendations at meetings; collaborates with a variety of city agencies and external partners to implement recommendations, including bicycle and pedestrian safety interventions and zoning re-mappings to improve access to health-supportive goods, services, and infrastructure; manages HIA process for proposed development projects as required; convenes stakeholders to screen and scope each HIA.

Performs Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping and analysis; develops and utilizes spatial analysis tools designed to assist in identifying opportunities to improve health; develops proposals and reports; performs analysis as necessary on factors affecting fresh-food access, active transportation, and other health issues; assists in the development of new tools to evaluate the health impacts of major projects to incorporate health considerations into the daily activities of the City Planning Commission; assists in the development of educational materials for presentation to the public including the Citizens Planning Institute.

Represents Philadelphia City Planning Commission at events relevant to healthy planning goals; serves as a technical resource to community groups; solicits information from the community to establish health-related priorities; considers community input in planning process; engages design and development communities to build capacity and support for projects that support the healthy built-environment goals of the City Planning Commission and the Department of Public Health.

POLICY AND ANALYSIS ASSIGNMENT

            Participates in the development and maintenance of a comprehensive City plan; determines existing conditions and their adequacy; integrates other appropriate proposals relevant to assigned project; obtains and/or makes projections of future needs; advises staff members on problems in such functional areas as demographics, recreation and on conditions in geographic areas of the city; devises and applies means of testing and evaluating the comprehensive plan completes project reviews and completes letters of plan compliance.

            Reviews assigned departmental capital budget requests; notes questionable items and obtains clarification; recommends items to be included and their scheduling; maintains file of program records and project histories and monthly status of current capital budgets.

TRANSPORTATION PLANNING ASSIGNMENT

            Participates in transportation planning studies and write planning reports; participates in the preparation of transportation studies for projects; collects and analyzes data and prepares studies; assists with reviews for consistency, depth of analysis and consideration of technical engineering and other relevant factors those areas of planning studies concerned with the streets, complete streets, highways, bicycle paths, pedestrian paths and walkways; researches studies and best practices on transportation policy issues and projects; assists in the development and implementation of the City’s trail and pedestrian path development projects; recommends changes to projects or plans; prepares transportation reports and plans based on project analyses and assessments to support decisions made on transportation systems.

            Research and analyze ways to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of transportation infrastructure and operations; assists with developing plans that demonstrate consistency with Federal, State, and local regulations; prepares fee proposals, prospectuses and requests for proposals; prepares strategies for neighborhoods and certain areas and districts; prepares presentations.

URBAN DESIGN SPECIALTY

Prepares and tests site and building controls and design guidelines for specific development parcels, development projects and special districts; reviews building designs, site plans, streetscapes and landscapes for conformance with zoning controls, development controls and design guidelines; reviews designs for public and private spaces including consideration of such factors as pedestrian usage, landscape standards, lighting, adjoining land uses, transportation linkages and access, signage and public art.

Prepares prospectuses and requests for proposals for individual development sites; prepares urban design strategies for neighborhoods and specific development districts, including preparation of recommendations on land use and physical development.

Presents staff findings and recommendations to the City Planning Commission, the Philadelphia Art Commission, and their subcommittees.

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES

KNOWLEDGE OF:

· the scope, history and objectives of city planning

· the physical, social, and economic structure cities

· city planning problems as they apply to the area of specialty or assignment

· the techniques and processes of planning research

· the principles and practices of urban design

· the principles and practices of community engagement

· the principles and methods of municipal zoning as they relate to city planning

· the principles and practices of economic, non-profit, and private development

· the effect of the built environment on public health

· the intersectionality of planning with other areas including race and identity

· the application and interpretation of standard statistical measures

· the theories of planning methods

· legal concepts and legislation basic to planning in the area of specialization

SKILL IN:

· Microsoft Office Suite

· GIS Mapping software

· Adobe Creative Suite

ABILITY TO:

· establish and maintain effective working relationships with associates, civic, community, and interest groups and the general public

· analyze complex problems and reach sound conclusions

· formulate original plans and reports presenting solutions to planning problems, which are in accordance with accepted planning principles

· research federal, state and local grants and programs related to the area of assignment

· direct the efforts of community groups towards planning at the neighborhood level

· present ideas effectively in oral, written, and graphic form

· prepare sketches illustrating urban designs standards, controls, and design guidelines

MINIMUM ACCEPTABLE TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE (The following statement represents the minimum training and experience standards which will be used to admit or reject applicants for tests.  Applications submitted by candidates for this class will be reviewed based on training and experience requirements as approved on 4/23.)

ALL SPECIALTIES

EDUCATION:

            Completion of a bachelor's degree program at an accredited college or university in a planning related field*

AND

GENERAL EXPERIENCE:

GENERAL SPECIALTY

            Two years of technical city planning experience in the area of assignment.

OR

Two years of community engagement experience performing strategic development and design, project management or facilitating process improvements for underrepresented or underdeveloped communities or community groups.

URBAN DESIGN SPECIALTY:

            Two years of technical city planning experience in architectural design, urban design, streetscape design, site planning, public art, or public open space design.

OR

            Any equivalent combination of education and experience that has included the completion of any bachelor's degree program including coursework determined by the Office of Human Resources to be equivalent to the specified degree requirement.

NOTE:            Completion of a two-year master's degree program from an accredited college or university in architecture, urban design, or landscape architecture meets all requirements for the urban design specialty or in any planning-related field* for the general specialty.

NOTE:            Certification by the American Institute of Certified Planners meets the education and experience requirements for both specialties.

* Qualifying fields related to city planning include: city planning, community planning, urban planning, regional planning, transportation planning, transportation design, community development, environmental design, geography, urban studies, architecture, urban design, landscape architecture, historic preservation, sustainability, public administration or policy OR for the Environmental Planning Assignment engineering or applied science including or supplemented by coursework in environmental science or ecology.

NOTE: Selective Factor Certification may be utilized, as needed, to fill specific positions.  In accordance with Civil Service Regulation 11.032 - Selective Factor Certification – the appointing authority may request certification of eligible candidates with one or more of the required degrees or specific experience to fill specific positions in this class. Certification to fill such position will be made from of the highest-ranking eligible candidates in accordance with the certification rule on the eligible list who possess the specified degree and/or experience

PHYSICAL AND MEDICAL REQUIREMENTS

            Ability to physically perform the duties and to work in the environmental conditions required of a position in this class.

Class Established: 4/60

Spec. Revision:

CSC - 10/11; Ad. Board – 10/11

Spec. Revision: CSC- 12/13; Ad. Board – 12/13

Spec. Revision: CSC – 11/15; Ad. Board – 12/15

Spec. Revision: 

CSC –9/22

Ad. Board – 10/22

Latest Spec. Revision: 

CSC – 3/23

Ad. Board – 4/23

JA