World Town Planning Day falls on 8 November, uniting planners and communities worldwide to champion how effective planning improves quality of life and strengthens society, creating places to live, work and play.

Founded in Buenos Aires in 1949 by Argentinian professor Carlos María della Paolera, it is now celebrated in more than 30 countries with lectures, school competitions, fundraising, awards and street events. The day highlights planning's vital role in sustainable development and climate action.

To mark the occasion on Sunday, 8 November, the Irish Planning Institute (IPI) is urging students, recent graduates and career-changers to consider the planning profession. The Institute underscores the growing demand for planners across housing, infrastructure, climate action, environmental protection and the creation of sustainable communities.

Ireland is experiencing a sustained shortage of qualified planners, with opportunities spanning local and national government, private consultancy, infrastructure delivery, environmental planning, research and the broader development sector.

The profession has evolved well beyond traditional land-use regulation and development management. Today's planners work in a dynamic environment, blending strategic planning, project management and delivery while navigating complex legislation and multiple strands of public policy to help deliver housing, critical infrastructure, renewable energy and sustainable communities.

Despite planning's increasing importance in meeting Ireland's long-term objectives, the pipeline of new entrants remains insufficient. IPI-accredited programmes produced an average of fewer than 60 graduates annually between 2020 and 2024, against an estimated need for about 120 new graduates each year. This gap reflects a prolonged under-supply following the post-2008 drop in student numbers. While enrolments are starting to recover, sustained investment in planning education, recruitment and retention is needed to build the workforce required.

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An analysis by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage in 2024 identified a net shortfall of between 350 and 400 planners, even before accounting for expected retirements and other attrition.

Modern planners need cross-disciplinary expertise across climate adaptation, environmental law, biodiversity, transport, economic development and urban design, as well as facilitation, project management and delivery skills.

Working with engineers, architects, environmental specialists, policymakers, developers and local communities, planners are central to addressing many of Ireland's most significant challenges. The IPI is encouraging more people to join the profession to help deliver new homes and critical infrastructure, advance renewable energy, revitalise towns and cities and build sustainable communities.

Gavin Lawlor, President of the Irish Planning Institute, said: "Planning is one of the most important and rewarding professions when it comes to shaping the future of Ireland. We are encouraging students, graduates and anyone considering a new career to take a closer look at what planning has to offer. As we mark World Town Planning Day, it's important that we recognise the critical role of professional planners in shaping the development of our communities.

"Planning offers a varied career for people interested in how places develop and who want to make a practical difference to communities and the environment. It combines technical knowledge and strategic thinking with project management, problem-solving, collaboration and engagement with communities and other professionals.

"It is also a career that offers a real sense of purpose. More than 80% of respondents to the IPI's 2023 Survey of the Planning Profession said they were satisfied with their current role.

"There are now a variety of ways to qualify as a professional planner, with IPI-accredited undergraduate and postgraduate programmes available and a new apprenticeship in development. With demand for professional planners extending beyond Ireland, qualifying through an IPI-accredited programme can also open up opportunities for those who qualify in Ireland to develop their careers overseas.

"Planners are at the heart of delivering the homes people need, the infrastructure our economy requires and the sustainable communities in which people want to live and work. However, we need more people entering the profession. As our society and economy continues to grow and change, there has never been a greater need for professional planners to shape Ireland's future."

Marking the 77th anniversary of World Town Planning Day, the Global Planners Network (GPN)—the largest coalition of national and international planning associations—celebrated the achievements of the profession. The GPN emphasised that planning is integral to tackling mounting social, economic and environmental challenges, and works best when shaped with communities by drawing on Indigenous and local knowledge, lived experience, professional expertise and shared ambition.

The Network highlighted that planning empowers communities and creates pathways to prosperity by helping deliver homes and places that meet people's needs, address climate impacts, support health and wellbeing, and guide recovery and reconstruction. Planners turn ideas into practical action, helping communities adapt and reduce social and spatial inequalities.

The GPN called for strong planning systems, sustained investment in planning and education, and enduring partnerships to secure better homes, healthier environments, greater resilience and more inclusive communities. Reaffirming that planning is a public good—linking vision with action, people with place, and today's choices with tomorrow's opportunities—the Network urged governments, communities and partners to back collaborative, evidence-informed planning and amplify under-represented voices to build resilient, inclusive and sustainable places worldwide.