Chicago’s Department of Planning & Development (DPD) has appointed Patrick Murphey, the city’s current Zoning Administrator, as its acting commissioner. This announcement was reported by Crain’s. Murphey has held various roles across four administrations and will take over from outgoing DPD Commissioner Maurice Cox who announced his resignation last month.
As head of the department, Murphey will manage a staff of 172 individuals and lead the zoning bureau. It is yet to be seen if Mayor Brandon Johnson intends to appoint a permanent commissioner for this role or not.
Murphey began his journey with DPD in 2000 as an intern before earning his master’s degree in urban planning from University of Illinois Chicago in 2002. He then joined former Mayor Richard M Daley’s administration at DDP as an economic development coordinator before being named Zoning Administrator in 2018
