Summer 2027 Urban Planning Intern

Progressive Companies; Detroit (MI); Hybrid; USD 25,000 - 33,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work schedule

Paid service-learning hours

Employee stock ownership plan (ESOP)

Job summary

Progressive Companies offers a paid Summer Internship Program designed to launch your career in urban planning and related disciplines. You’ll work on housing, redevelopment, and neighborhood revitalization projects, with hands-on client work and multi-disciplinary collaboration under experienced mentors.

You’ll develop development strategies, pro formas, and policy recommendations, while engaging in site visits, community outreach, and education sessions.

Qualifications

• Currently enrolled in a planning or planning-adjacent bachelor’s degree program.
• At least one year of undergraduate studies completed by Summer 2027.
• Strong analytical, design, and problem-solving skills with strong communication.

Responsibilities

• Conduct housing market, demographic, and spatial analyses using public and proprietary data sources.
• Support development feasibility and pro forma modeling, including cost and revenue assumptions.
• Research and summarize housing and development policies, incentive programs, and financing tools.
• Prepare technical writing for inclusion in plans, strategies, and funding applications.
• Create maps, charts, and visuals for community engagement, presentations, and reports.
• Assist with public and stakeholder engagement, preparing materials and attending meetings as needed.
• Coordinate tasks and provide progress updates to Project Managers and senior staff.

Skills

Analytical thinking

Communication skills

Design understanding

Education

Bachelor’s degree in urban planning or related field

Tools

Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook)

Project

SharePoint

Teams

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 a Planning Intern, you will work collaboratively with the Urban Planning Practice Leader, Project Managers, and Planners to advance urban design and planning projects with an emphasis on housing, redevelopment, and neighborhood revitalization. Typical work includes preparing development strategies, housing market analyses, pro formas, and policy recommendations, as well as contributing to master plans, zoning modernization, and community engagement.

Responsibilities

• Conduct housing market, demographic, and spatial analyses using public and proprietary data sources.
• Support development feasibility and pro forma modeling, including cost and revenue assumptions.
• Research and summarize housing and development policies, incentive programs, and financing tools.
• Prepare technical writing for inclusion in plans, strategies, and funding applications.
• Create maps, charts, and visually rich materials for community engagement, presentations, and reports.
• Assist with public and stakeholder engagement, preparing materials and attending meetings as needed.
• Coordinate tasks and provide progress updates to Project Managers and senior staff.

Qualifications

• Enrollment in a planning or planning‑adjacent Bachelor’s degree program, such as urban planning, architecture, public policy, real estate development, or economics.
• At least one year of undergraduate studies completed by Summer 2027.
• Strong analytical, design, and problem‑solving skills, and ability to communicate well.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, including Word, Excel and Outlook required.Experience in Project, SharePoint, and Teams preferred

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.

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.