Planners often use computers. They use computers to record information and to make their reports. Computer databases and spreadsheets are widely used to figure out program costs. They are also used to predict future trends. Planners focus on costs and trends in housing, population, transportation, and employment.
Computerized systems let planners map land areas and make overlay maps.
These systems also make it so that planners to combine geographic information and change it to meet their needs. This allows them to make alternative plans for land development or use. In large organizations, planners usually specialize. They usually work in a single area such as transportation or historic preservation. Other specialties are regulatory and environmental issues, housing, urban design, and economic development.