ENTREPRENEURIAL OPPORTUNITIES IN URBAN PLANNING
Overview
The entrepreneurial space in Nigeria is replete with challenges with regard to finance, policy issues and inadequate support framework for small and medium scale enterprises. However, in this brief, the focus is on the entrepreneurial opportunities available to prospective and practising urban planners. Urban planning is seen by the Nigerian Institute of Town Planners planning as an activity focused on the spatial ordering of land use both in the urban and rural settings for the purpose of creating functionality efficient and aesthetically pleasing physical environment for living, working, circulation and recreation. The basic examination of this definition reveals that an urban planner as a professional has a strategic role in different spheres of the urban and rural economy. Furthermore with the spatial implication of every investment decision and considering the importance of investment both local and foreign in Nigeria business environment planners roles will be continuously required.
Entrepreneurial Opportunities
The entrepreneurial opportunities available to prospective and practising urban planning are in the traditional planning sphere and contemporary sphere of planning. Major areas of entrepreneurial opportunities for urban planners are:
• Public policy research and analysis
• Planning advocacy
• Planning expert witness
• Fundamental and applied research
• General urban development services
• Development project management
• Building construction and management
• Landscaping/greening services
• Traditional and online planning journalism
• Digital planning services (GIS, CAD, development navigation & monitoring system)
• Analytics/statistical planning advisory services
• Applied urban management data science
• Big data database management
What Urban Planning Should do to Explore Entrepreneurial Opportunities
To harness the multiple entrepreneurial opportunities available to prospective and practising urban planners it is imperative to develop certain skill sets and engage in measures to boost professional image, create awareness, and invariably increase the level of success as a planning entrepreneur.
• Engage in self-professional development
• Develop robust report writing skills
• Develop effective written and verbal communication skills
• Development general and specific analytical competency
• Develop competence in propriety and open source software
• Engage in robust professional/personal networking
• Engage in active volunteering along professional services area
• Provide pro-bono services to building network and expert status
• Engage as an employee in planning & related firm, freelance consultant, set up individual business enterprise or work in a team of urban planning group with similar interest).
• Engage in active personal brand boost (write on topical issues, join professional social media groups, attend conferences etc)