Training/Education: Urban planners work with communities of all sizes to build land-use strategies affecting where people live, how they move around and what services they need. "A big part of the job is interfacing with the public and interpreting what people want and need," Fregonese said. "There's also a technical side --computer modeling, visualization --as well as lots of writing, from executive summaries to technical documents."

Fregonese's undergraduate degree is in geography. After getting a master's degree in urban planning, he worked for the cities of Woodburn, Ashland and then five years for Metro before starting his own firm in 1997. "Some planners come from economics, some from political science; it's a multifaceted field. You have to master complex tasks and consider economics, zoning, legal and environmental issues. It's both an art and a science; you have to have a passion for it." Because Oregon is known for its devotion to planning, "Being an Oregon planner is like being a Swiss watchmaker."

Best part: Fregonese grew up in some of the great cities of the world --Rome, Paris, New York and Los Angeles. "I was captivated by the field, fascinated with how cities work. It's a very meaningful profession, full of real-life drama. You're contributing to creating a better place for people to live."

Realities: Sometimes, a beautiful plan remains only a plan. "Maybe the political will or the money isn't there; maybe the plan is just too ambitious." The public planning side can be stressful. "When there are deep divisions of opinion, and everyone is ticked off all the time, it can be very frustrating." Add lots of night meetings and traveling. "It's not a 9-to-5 job; you go where the action is."Future: As cities continue to grow, the need for planning increases. "The more urban the U.S. gets, the more planning is needed; cities don't work without it."