City planner with five years in long-range and current planning for a growing mid-size city. Managed the zoning code update that legalized duplexes citywide and has enabled 340 new units since adoption. Brings land-use analysis, community engagement, staff reports and AICP certification.
Experience
Associate Planner, City of Cedar Bluff Planning and Development Services (Cedar Bluff, ID)
May 2022 – Present
Managed outreach and drafting for a zoning code rewrite that legalized duplexes citywide, enabling 340 new units since 2024
Review 80+ land-use applications a year and present staff reports to the Planning and Zoning Commission
Ran 25 neighborhood workshops and an online survey with 4,200 responses
Built ArcGIS dashboards tracking housing permits against comprehensive plan targets
Planning Technician, Snake River Regional Planning Council (Meridian, ID)
Jan 2021 – Apr 2022
Maintained parcel and land-use GIS layers for 6 member jurisdictions
Prepared demographic profiles for 3 corridor studies
Answered 40 zoning questions a week at the public counter and by phone
Education
Master of Urban and Regional Planning, Portland State University (Sep 2019 – Jun 2021)
B.A. Geography, Boise State University (Aug 2015 – May 2019)
Skills
Planning: zoning administration, comprehensive plans, site plan review, subdivision regulations
Analysis: ArcGIS Pro, ArcGIS Online, Census data, housing capacity analysis
Engagement: public workshops, commission presentations, Spanish-language outreach
Certifications: AICP
How to write a City Planner resume
A strong City Planner resume shows the programs, policies and public services you delivered, the budgets and rules you worked within, and the measurable outcomes for residents. Put your most relevant recent role first and make every bullet show a result, not a duty.
Sections, in order
Summary
Experience
Education
Skills
Certifications
Length: One page for most candidates; move to two only if every line is relevant.
Summary: Write two or three lines: your role, your strongest skills, and one result that proves them.
Skills to feature
Policy analysis
Program evaluation
Budget development
Regulatory compliance
Stakeholder and community engagement
Grant administration
Data analysis (Excel, Tableau, ArcGIS)
Briefing and plain-language writing
Public procurement (FAR or state code)
Interagency coordination
Example bullet points
Cut average permit review time from 42 to 19 days by redesigning intake and adding online plan submission
Wrote the fiscal analysis for a $38M affordable housing bond approved by 61% of voters
Coordinated 14 agencies through a FEMA-funded hazard mitigation plan update adopted on schedule
Tips from recruiters
For federal roles on USAJOBS, list hours per week, GS grade and exact dates for each role, and mirror the specialized-experience wording in the announcement.
Name the laws, programs and funding streams you worked with (for example CDBG, FEMA BRIC, the FAR or the state open meetings act).
Quantify public impact in residents served, dollars managed or days saved rather than describing duties.
Recommended templates
Classic (ATS-friendly): Jake's-style LaTeX classic: small caps and hairline rules
Meridian (ATS-friendly): Modern serif with a hairline date rail on the right
Ivy (ATS-friendly): Harvard-style Times layout with centered headings
City Planner resume FAQ
What should a City Planner resume include?
A City Planner resume should show the programs, policies and public services you delivered, the budgets and rules you worked within, and the measurable outcomes for residents. Use these sections in this order: Summary, Experience, Education, Skills and Certifications. Put your most relevant recent role first and make every bullet show a result, not a duty.
What is the best resume template for a City Planner?
Classic, Meridian and Ivy work well for City Planner roles. They are single-column with standard headings, so applicant tracking systems (ATS) parse them reliably.
How long should a City Planner resume be?
One page for most candidates; move to two only if every line is relevant.
Which skills should a City Planner put on a resume?
Prioritize the skills named in the job posting. Common ones for City Planner roles are Policy analysis, Program evaluation, Budget development, Regulatory compliance, Stakeholder and community engagement and Grant administration.
How do I write strong City Planner resume bullet points?
Start with an action verb, say what you did, and end with a measurable result such as residents served, budget managed and processing time. For example: "Cut average permit review time from 42 to 19 days by redesigning intake and adding online plan submission."