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Planner / GIS & Economic Analyst - Urban3 (Asheville, NC or Portland, OR)

Who: Urban3 is a GeoAccounting consultancy based in the beautiful mountains of Asheville, North Carolina. We are leaders in visualizing economic productivity using 3D modeling software, as well as designers of infographics that communicate the financial impact of public policy and land use. Urban3’s pioneering economic visualization work has earned international recognition. At our core, we are data-driven storytellers.
Urban3’s visualizations are composed using local data, resulting in a snapshot of the fiscal health of a community. We think of it as our clients’ Economic MRI. The visuals not only reflect the fiscal potency of varying development patterns, but aid policy makers in delivering a clear and agnostic understanding of the economics of place. Our 3D images are a new way of seeing the world in which fiscal efficiency is immediately apparent.

What: You will work closely with our team of analysts, our principal and project manager on a variety of project types. We are small, fast-paced office — we look for people who are curious, engaged, ready for a challenge, and who have a great sense of humor. Recent projects include a city-wide economic analysis for the City of Minneapolis, a fiscal impact analysis for the City of South Bend, and an economic impact analysis for a new 115 acre development along Austin’s commuter rail line. We work closely with other urban designers, planners, real estate developers, architects and landscape architects.
Responsibilities include:
  • Working with city/county parcel and assessment data in GIS on a daily basis 
  • Traveling to meet with clients across the US and Canada for site visits (10% travel) 
  • Creating and conducting fiscal impact analyses for alternative land use scenarios using GIS and Urban Footprint; 
  • Designing and implementing tools (i.e. spreadsheet models to determine internal rate of return, cost/benefit, lifecycle costs) to measure the fiscal and/or economic impact of alternative infrastructure investments (e.g., transportation infrastructure, water infrastructure, economic development incentives, housing programs); 
  • Research, studies, or policy analyses demonstrating the impacts of smart growth on economic and fiscal issues, and for using smart growth as a tool for achieving fiscal health and spurring economic development; 
  • Creating compelling data visualizations to reveal the stories behind the economic dynamics of land use patterns, tax policy and development 
  • Presenting our work at conferences 
  • Manage project flow of junior level analysts 
  • Business development: talking with potential clients and input on proposals. 
Qualifications: Our ideal candidate has 5-8 years experience working on strategic design projects, as well as an ability to communicate clearly through visual language (tables, diagrams, models, and maps). Candidates will have at least a bachelor’s degree in economics, real estate finance, geography, urban design, architecture, or landscape architecture. Expert proficiency with GIS, Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop, and Excel is required. Experience with Sketchup, Blender, and Python and/or Javascript will elevate those candidates. Those with masters degrees in Planning, Urban Design or Geography will be given preference.

Please send a resume and a work sample of 1-3 maps that tell a story with data. Please also send a link to your favorite YouTube video -- humor encouraged. Send all materials to: info@urban-three.com. We are looking for full time positions in our Asheville office. We will consider remote opportunities for the right candidate. We offer 2 weeks paid vacation, competitive compensation, insurance contributions, a flex schedule, funding for conference attendance, and a merit-based bonus program.
For more information on Urban3, please visit urban-three.com.