Who Should Be On Planning Commissions?

What happens when a Plan Commission has no architect, landscape architect, planner or developer from the private sector?

1 minute read

May 27, 2004, 9:00 AM PDT

By Chris Steins @planetizen


"The Plan Commission and Urban Design Commission need to be more than platforms for personal tastes and political stances. Unfortunately the plan approval process does little to proactively attract quality projects to fill specific community needs, or to enhance a larger vision for a more vital and more sustainable future for our city... Designers, architects, landscape architects, planners and developers need to be engaged in the process and the public debate, starting by appointing qualified design professionals to the Plan Commission."

Thanks to ArchNewsNow

Thursday, May 27, 2004 in The Capital Times

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Wastewater pouring out from a pipe.

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage

Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

April 13, 2025 - Inside Climate News

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

2 hours ago - Diana Ionescu

Black and white photos of camp made up of small 'earthquake shacks' in Dolores Park in 1906 after the San Francisco earthquake.

The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees

More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?

April 15, 2025 - Charles F. Bloszies

View of downtown Seattle with Space Needle and mountains in background

Seattle Voters Approve Social Housing Referendum

Voters approved a corporate tax to fund the city’s housing authority despite an opposition campaign funded by Amazon and Microsoft.

1 hour ago - Next City

Hot air balloons rise over Downtown Boise with the State Capitol building visible amidst the high rises.

The Five Most-Changed American Cities

A ranking of population change, home values, and jobs highlights the nation’s most dynamic and most stagnant regions.

1 hour ago - GoodMigrations

View of cars in traffic from behind with visible tailpipe emissions

USDOT Repeals Emissions Monitoring Rule

A Biden-era regulation required states to report and plan to reduce transportation-related emissions.

4 hours ago - Smart Cities Dive