The Committee on Design is a volunteer group of 24 urban design professionals organized by the Department of Planning and Development (DPD) to advise Commissioner Maurice Cox and DPD staff on design excellence for key development projects and urban design initiatives.

The committee reviews projects on the second Wednesday of each month, prior to more formal review and approval processes that include the Chicago Plan Commission and City Council. Projects subject to committee review include:

• Planned Development projects that exceed 10 acres, 2.5 million square feet of space, or 2,500 residential units 
• Planned Development projects that are 80 feet or taller, or those that are not height-compliant with current zoning and policy, or those that vary from the scale and character of the surrounding context
• Planned Development projects that are adjacent to overlay districts or special street designations, such as landmark districts, pedestrian streets, etc.
• Projects that use City resources, such as Tax Increment Financing, Neighborhood Opportunity Bonus funds, or support from the INVEST South/West initiative
• Projects that involve public or cultural institutions that may have a significant impact on the city
• City-led plans, small-area plans, design guidelines, and similar initiatives

Formed in July 2021, the committee's recommendations provide advisory guidance to DPD staff and members of a project's development team.

Upcoming meetings of the Committee on Design will take place virtually on Zoom and live streamed. Members of the public are welcome to join each meeting on Zoom and provide comments or questions in the Zoom Q&A box. Committee members may refer to these comments or questions during the discussion.

Written public comment on the proposals will be accepted up to 24 hours in advance of the meeting at DPD-COD@cityofchicago.org. Additional opportunities for public input and discussion are being explored as a part of this pilot committee; suggestions are welcome at DPD-COD@cityofchicago.org.

2023 Meeting Schedule

2022 Meeting Schedule

2021 Meeting Schedule

Committee on Design Members

The 24 committee members represent each of Chicago's seven planning regions and a wide range of interrelated disciplines, including affordable housing, architecture, art, community development, public engagement, landscape architecture and historic preservation. Twelve members participate in each monthly meeting.

Members serving an initial two-year term include:

• Catherine Baker, partner, Landon Bone Baker
• Sara Beardsley, associate principal, Solomon Cordwell Buenz (SCB)
• Andre Brumfield, principal, Gensler
• Bob Clark, executive chairman and founder, Clayco
• Philip Enquist, consulting partner, SOM
• Bob Faust, designer and artist
• Jeanne Gang, founder, Studio Gang
• Theaster Gates, artist and professor at the Department of Visual Arts, University of Chicago
• Eleanor Gorski, planning and design director, University of Illinois-Chicago
• Hana Ishikawa, design principal, Site Design Group
• Casey Jones, principal, Perkins & Will
• Jackie Koo, principal, Koo Architecture
• Reed Kroloff, dean, Illinois Institute of Technology College of Architecture
• Brian Lee, consulting partner, SOM
• Renauld Mitchell, partner, Moody Nolan
• Juan Gabriel Moreno, president and founder, Juan Gabriel Moreno Architects
• Guacolda Reyes, chief real estate development officer, The Resurrection Project
• John Ronan, founding principal, John Ronan Architects
• Lesley Roth, principal, Lamar Johnson Collaborative
• Ann Thompson, executive vice president for architecture and design, Related Midwest
• Maria Villalobos, assistant professor, Illinois Institute of Technology College of Architecture
• Leon Walker, managing partner, DL3 Realty
• Amanda Williams, visual artist

Each committee member was either recruited or selected through an open application process that DPD launched in spring 2021.