Charles C Graves III, Director

The Department of City Planning is a unified, high performance team that guides land use, zoning and preservation of historic structures, that facilitates building permitting and construction inspections and through sound planning practices ensures that our great city is enriched with vitality, thrives as an urban center, and is a model to other cities nationwide. This vision of the department is realized by:

1. Utilizing sound planning principles,
2. Ensuring excellent customer service delivery,
3. Upholding the life and fire safety standards in our building stock, 
4. Conserving the rich architectural history of Cincinnati,
5. Fostering sustainable and environmentally sensitive developments, and
6. Encouraging participation from the communities in all aspects of development 

Organizational History:

• In 2005, the Mayor convened the “Working Group on City Planning” to evaluate the re-establishment of the Department of City Planning.
• In 2007, the City Manager implemented the recommendations contained in the “Report of the Mayor’s Working Group on City Planning”. A national search was conducted to hire a Director of Planning.
• In September of 2007, Charles C. Graves III became the Director of the Department of City Planning.
• In support of the City Manger’s initiative to improve customer service and operational efficiency, the Department of City Planning welcomed the Business Development and Permit Center into its table of organization effective January, 1 2008.

Core Services:

The Department consists of two divisions, the Division of Community Planning and the Division of Buildings and Inspections.

• The Division of Community Planning administers the regulation of land uses within the City.
  • Administration of the Zoning Code, Subdivision Rules and Regulations, and other land use regulatory processes
  • Staff to the City Planning Commission and Historic Conservation Board
  • Provides demographic, mapping, and analysis services
  • Develops special plans, including the Consolidated Plan, Urban Renewal Plans, Community Plans, and Tax Increment Financing plans
  • Manages federally funded program reviews, including environmental reviews of projects
  • Conducts heritage and historic research
  • Provides professional guidance to property owners concerning certificates of appropriateness and other actions affecting the City's historic resources.

• The Division of Buildings and Inspections protects the health and safety of the citizenry by ensuring the quality and integrity of the City's housing stock; promotes economic development by maintaining the quality of commercial construction, and enforces the laws and codes established to further these goals.
  • The Business Development and Permit Division (BDPD) is responsible for the issuance of licenses and permits, the inspection of all new construction, alterations, additions, as well as related plumbing, mechanical and elevator work. 
  • The duties of the BDPD includes the examination of plans to ensure that they comply with the requirements of the Zoning Code and the Building Code, and the handling of appeals on building and zoning code enforcement.