Summer 2027 Urban Design Intern

Progressive Companies; Detroit (MI); Hybrid; USD 24,000 - 32,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Award-winning wellness program

Hybrid work schedule

Summer hours

Profit-sharing

Employee stock ownership plan (ESOP)

Job summary

The Progressive Companies Summer Internship Program offers a paid, full-time experience designed to launch your career in architecture, design, engineering, and construction. You’ll work with mentors in a multi-disciplinary firm and participate in site visits, meetings, and education sessions to fuel your development.

As an Urban Design Intern, you’ll collaborate with designers, engineers, planners and landscape architects on urban design projects, developing 2D/3D visuals and public-facing

Qualifications

• Enrollment in a planning or planning-adjacent bachelor’s degree program.
• At least two years of undergraduate study completed by Summer 2027.
• Demonstrated experience completing basic urban design tasks, including 2D and 3D conceptual plans or diagrams.
• Interest in the relationship between people, places, buildings, streets, and public spaces.
• Strong analytical, design, problem-solving, and communication skills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office (Word, Excel).
• Experience with Adobe Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop, AutoCAD and SketchUp.
• Experience with Outlook, SharePoint, and Teams preferred.
• Experience with ArcGIS Pro and community engagement is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Assist with urban design, corridor planning, downtown planning, neighborhood planning, and master planning projects.
• Collaborate with team members across urban design, planning, landscape architecture, architecture, transportation, and engineering.
• Explore alternatives for streets, public spaces, land use, development, and connectivity.
• Develop graphic presentations, diagrams, renderings, and other visual communication materials, including 2D and 3D visuals.
• Prepare boards, presentations, reports, and other public and/or client facing materials.
• Research precedent projects, development trends, zoning, transportation systems, public spaces, and community conditions.
• Assist with public and stakeholder engagement, including meetings, pop-up engagements, workshops, and other events.
• Participate in site visits, design workshops, client meetings, and community engagement activities.

Skills

Urban design basics

2D/3D concepts

Analytical thinking

Communication skills

MS Office proficiency

Design collaboration

Community engagement

Education

Planning or planning-adjacent bachelor's degree

Two years undergraduate study completed by Summer 2027

Tools

Adobe Illustrator

InDesign

Photoshop

AutoCAD

SketchUp

ArcGIS Pro

Outlook

SharePoint

Teams

Word

Excel

Job description

The Progressive Companies Summer Internship Program is a paid, full-time experience designed to launch your career. You'll take part in hands-on client projects, sharpen your problem-solving and communication skills, and gain a front-row seat to the world of architecture, design, engineering, and construction. Working alongside experienced mentors in a multi-disciplinary firm setting, you'll learn the tools and methods that build a strong foundation for your future career. Along the way, you'll take part in project site visits, volunteer outings, networking opportunities, and education sessions - all designed to fuel your career and your curiosity.

As an Urban Design Intern, you will work collaboratively with the Urban Design and Planning Team, a diverse group of designers, engineers, landscape architects, and planners, to advance urban design and planning projects with an emphasis on creating great places through authentic community engagement, high-quality design, and thoughtful policy.

This is a hands-on position for someone who is curious about how communities work and enjoys moving between research and analysis, design, policy, and community engagement.

What You'll Do

• Assist with urban design, corridor planning, downtown planning, neighborhood planning, and master planning projects.
• Collaborate with team members across urban design, planning, landscape architecture, architecture, transportation, and engineering.
• Explore alternatives for streets, public spaces, land use, development, and connectivity.
• Develop graphic presentations, diagrams, renderings, and other visual communication materials, including 2D and 3D visuals.
• Prepare boards, presentations, reports, and other public and/or client facing materials.
• Research precedent projects, development trends, zoning, transportation systems, public spaces, and community conditions.
• Assist with public and stakeholder engagement, including meetings, pop-up engagements, workshops, and other events.
• Participate in site visits, design workshops, client meetings, and community engagement activities.

Qualifications

• Enrollment in a planning or planning-adjacent bachelor’s degree program, such as urban planning, urban design, architecture, landscape architecture, or a related field.
• At least two years of undergraduate study completed by Summer 2027.
• Demonstrated experience completing basic urban design tasks, including 2D and 3D conceptual plans or diagrams.
• An interest in the relationship between people, places, buildings, streets, and public spaces.
• Strong analytical, design, problem‑solving, and communication skills.
• Basic familiarity with zoning and building code concepts and an interest in understanding how regulations influence development and urban design.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, including Word, Excel.
• Experience with Adobe Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop, AutoCAD and SketchUp required.
• Experience with Outlook, SharePoint, and Teams preferred.
• Experience with ArcGIS Pro and community engagement is a plus.

People Matter

Each individual's background, knowledge, ability, and experience contributes to strengthening our organization and projects. Our dedication to diversity includes company provided training and education, equitable recruitment, a grassroots employee DEI committee, and robust community partnerships.

Progressive Companies is comprised of people with a variety of abilities, races, colors, religions, genders, sexual orientations, national origins, ages, veteran statuses, and more. As an equal opportunity employer, we believe diversity, equity, and inclusion are essential elements of innovative design. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform essential job functions.

Transforming Spaces. Empowering People.

The talented professionals of Progressive Companies are designers of a bold new future, creating high-performance structures and pathways, delivering on today's needs and preparing for what's to come. We live by the idea that design isn't simply about beauty, it's about improving strategic outcomes-what we call Performance Based Design. Our work spans across the nation, allowing team members to work on a variety of exciting projects and maximize impact as trusted partners to our clients and communities.

Sustainable and Inclusive

We are dedicated to human-centered, sustainable, and inclusive design practices. We believe diversity, equity, and inclusion are essential to building trust, respect, and truly innovative design making spaces welcoming and accessible to all. Our sustainability approach embraces the AIA 2030 Commitment, together with a range of high performance, restorative, and regenerative strategies with a focus on climate responsive results to maximize positive impact in our industry.

Employee Owned

We act like owners- because we are. From modest beginnings of four original engineering partners in 1962, to over 350 architects, engineers, designers, and consultants across multiple regional offices today, the energy, resourcefulness, and entrepreneurial mindset you expect from a CEO come standard with every team member.

Culture of Excellence

The firm is continually ranked as one of the Best and Brightest Companies to Work For in the Nation®, with comprehensive benefits including an award-winning wellness program, hybrid work schedule, summer hours, profit-sharing, and employee stock ownership plan (ESOP). We take our work seriously, but have fun along the way, which fuels the creative spirit and supports a focus on work and life integration.

• an award-winning wellness program
• hybrid work schedule
• summer hours
• profit-sharing
• employee stock ownership plan (ESOP)

Progressive Companies is committed to development and growth of team members through continuing education, mentorship, growth opportunities, and more. We are dedicated to giving back to our communities, with paid service-learning hours available to every employee and corporate sponsorship for a wide range of community organizations and activities.