Commissions and Boards
The Department of City Planning (DCP) hosts a number of commissions, boards, and panels which review various elements of development, design, public art, and zoning.
Meeting Information
Contextual Design Advisory Panel (CDAP)
The Contextual Design Advisory Panel (CDAP) is comprised of members with expertise in the physical development of the City. The panel's mission is to promote quality of life in the City of Pittsburgh. CDAP achieves its mission through professional, voluntary design assistance to maximize the economic, civic, contextual, and aesthetic value of new development projects impacting the public realm. To fulfill this mission, CDAP advises the Department of City Planning by reviewing and providing design guidance on selected, higher profile projects throughout the City.
Development Activities Meetings (DAM)
Development Activities Meetings (DAM) provide citizens, property owners, business owners, and stakeholders an opportunity to learn about proposals that affect them and resolve concerns at an early stage of the application process.
Historic Review Commission (HRC)
The Historic Review Commission provides guidance to those seeking to conduct exterior work on historic buildings and within historic districts in the city. The Historic Review Commission is comprised of seven members appointed by the Mayor. The membership of the commission must include an architect, a preservationist, a realtor, a building inspector, and a planner.
Naming Commission
The Commission on Naming Public Properties created guidelines and specifications for naming or changing the name of a public property or facility.
- Naming Commission Page - Includes Virtual Naming Commission Instructions, how to submit comments, and current commissioners.
- The Naming Commission meets quarterly.
Planning Commission (PC)
The City Planning Commission is a nine-member panel appointed by the Mayor for six-year, staggered terms. The Commission is charged with guiding land use and land development within the City. The Planning Commission makes recommendations to City Council concerning the Zoning Ordinance and zoning maps, and then reviews major development and redevelopment proposals.
Public Art & Civic Design Commission (PACD)
The Public Art & Civic Design Commission works to improve the aesthetic quality of the City's public spaces. The Commission is comprised of seven members appointed by the Mayor, with each member representing a discipline in the arts or design field.
Zoning Board of Adjustment (ZBA)
The Zoning Board of Adjustment (ZBA) is an adjudicative body that reviews land use proposals in accordance with the requirements of the Zoning Code. The Board reviews such matters in public evidentiary hearings at which the applicant and impacted neighbors may submit evidence or testimony in support of or in opposition to the request.