Tomasz on building a squiggly career in International Urban Development Advisory

Tomasz is a Senior Consultant in Urban Development based in London. He works in the Cities and Infrastructure Advisory team and joined AtkinsRéalis as a graduate Town Planner in 2021.

From graduate town planner to urban development advisory

When Tomasz joined AtkinsRéalis as a graduate Town Planner in July 2021 he didn’t expect he would end up in the Cities and Infrastructure Advisory team just a few years later. Within his first two years, he achieved RTPI Chartership and became a Planner. Then, in March 2024, an opportunity came up for him to make a lateral move into the Cities and Infrastructure Advisory team. Because he had already built project experience and worked with the team before, he says he was “well-positioned for the move.” That move opened up new responsibilities, including project management and leading the delivery of technical work, ultimately resulting in his promotion to Senior Consultant a year later.

Shaping guidance that reaches cities around the world

One of Tomasz’s standout projects has been the development of the Handbook on Urban Heat Management in the Global South for the World Bank.

It’s the kind of project that shows the range of advisory work - part technical research, part stakeholder engagement, all of it tied to real policy outcomes. Tomasz helped develop the outline and content for the guidance in a collaborative way with experts across and beyond the Environment Practice. He also led the volume on Planning for Urban Heat and worked on developing a range of practical solutions for cities facing extreme heat.

For him, it brought “opportunities to stretch my capabilities” on a complex and evolving topic and shape content for audiences with different levels of understanding. The Handbook was published by the World Bank and later disseminated to city and local government officials across the target regions.

Seeing recommendations turn into real improvements

Tomasz’s work has also included the development of Green City Action Plans for cities in Azerbaijan, Egypt, and Türkiye for the EBRD. Through these projects, he provides “technical advice and assistance in developing climate-resilient, socially inclusive and smart urban infrastructure projects.”

What stands out is the link between strategy and action. Tomasz says that “some of the projects I have helped to shape as part of the GCAPs are currently being funded by the Bank” and are starting to “deliver tangible improvements to infrastructure provision and environmental quality.”

That impact is concrete. He points to projects that will “improve surface and groundwater quality through improved sewerage networks and treatment of wastewater.” or “improve air quality and reduce GHG emissions as a result of implementing electric buses to replace old diesel ones.”

Working across disciplines and borders

A big part of Tomasz’s experience has been “working with colleagues across disciplines.” He has collaborated with infrastructure planners, environmental scientists, climate resilience specialists, transport planners, master planners, and water, energy, and solid waste specialists.

He has also worked with colleagues in AtkinsRéalis offices in Dubai and India, as well as local partners across Southeast Asia, Africa, Central Asia, and Europe. That breadth is part of the appeal. It is not a UK-only desk job. It is work that connects you to a wider network of “world-class technical specialists” and diverse local perspectives.

Alongside that, the support around the work matters too. Tomasz says “everyone I have encountered at AtkinsRéalis and beyond is friendly and approachable, willing to assist with any queries and support my career development.” He also values the hybrid working setup and the 20-day abroad policy, which lets him spend time working from his parents’ home in Poland.

If Tomasz’s story sounds like the kind of career you want to build, explore environment roles at AtkinsRéalis.