Kyle Elliott as Director of City Planning

City Manager Mario Vasquez has appointed Kyle Elliott as the new Director of the City Planning and Development Department for Kansas City.

Elliott brings more than two decades of experience in urban planning, housing, land use policy, and community development, including nearly his entire professional career serving Kansas City. He has served as Interim Director of Planning and Development since August 2025 and previously held leadership roles across both the Planning and Housing departments.

As Director, Elliott will oversee long-range planning, development review, zoning administration, historic preservation, permitting, inspections, and policy functions for a city of more than 500,000 residents.

"Kyle understands Kansas City because he has helped shape it for decades," said City Manager Mario Vasquez. "His experience, collaborative leadership style, and deep understanding of planning, housing, infrastructure, and development make him the right person to lead this department as Kansas City continues to grow and evolve. Kyle has consistently focused on improving processes, supporting strong neighborhoods, and helping move important projects forward in a thoughtful and transparent way."

Throughout his career, Elliott has led major planning initiatives and modernization efforts, including updates to Kansas City's comprehensive plan, neighborhood and corridor plans, transportation planning efforts, transit-oriented development strategies, and improvements to development review processes. He also helped rebuild the department's GIS and analytics capabilities and launched initiatives focused on streamlining permitting and development services.

"I am grateful for the opportunity to serve as the next Director of the City Planning and Development Department for Kansas City," said Elliott. "Since starting as an intern in 1998 and working continuously for the City since 2003, nearly my entire professional career has been dedicated to serving Kansas City through both the Planning and Housing Departments."

"I look forward to working with our exceptional staff, residents, stakeholders, and development community to support high-quality, sustainable, transparent, and connected growth that continues to move Kansas City forward," Elliott said. "Kansas City's continued success is made possible through strong collaboration and shared commitment, and I am excited to help build on that momentum as we shape the future of our community together."

Elliott holds a Master of Urban Planning from the University of Kansas and a Bachelor of Science in Geography from Northwest Missouri State University. He has been a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) since 2005.

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Media with questions may contact Jordan Berger, Public Information Officer for the City Planning & Development Department at [email protected].