Our Mission: To build Baltimore as a diverse, sustainable and thriving city of neighborhoods and as the economic and cultural driver for the region. The Department of Planning is the City agency entrusted with guiding the physical development of the City of Baltimore. The Department staffs three Mayoral-appointed City commissions: Sustainability Commission, Planning Commission and Commission on Historical and Architectural Preservation (CHAP). This Department of Planning has five divisions within the Department, in addition to the Office of the Director, each with its special focus in support of the mission and the Commissions we serve. Cross-division collaboration is essential to our planning work and is embedded in the Department’s culture: Office of the Director Equity, Engagement and Communications Office of Sustainability Food Policy and Planning Comprehensive Planning Land Use and Urban Design Research and Strategic Planning Historical and Architectural Preservation