The Planning and Development Department provides city planning and community development services to the community and other governmental agencies. It operates housing programs, administers the Community Development Block Grant and HOME programs, provides staff support for joint city, county and state MPO transportation planning activities, helps coordinate neighborhood programs, administers the subdivision and zoning ordinance (except for enforcement), and is responsible for long-range land use, transportation and capital improvement planning for the city.  The department conducts special planning studies as directed by the City Council and processes requests for annexation.

The Planning and Development Department provides staff support for the Planning and Zoning Commission, the Community Development Commission, the Bicycle and Pedestrian Commission, Historic Preservation Commission, and the Columbia Area Transportation Study Organization (CATSO).

The department is a local resource for census data, statistical reports, mapping and data gathering and analysis. Long-range employment and population projections for the area are also available.

The Planning and Development Department strives to insure that information provided on these pages is both timely and accurate.  Users should keep in mind that this information is provided only as a public convenience. In any case where legal reliance on information is required, the official records of the City of Columbia, Missouri should be consulted.