Mayor Scott Announces the Appointment of Tim Keane as Baltimore City Planning Director

BALTIMORE, MD (Thursday, September 11, 2025) - Today, Mayor Brandon M. Scott announced the appointment of Timothy Keane as Baltimore's new Director of the Department of Planning. Keane is a nationally recognized city planner whose experience spans multiple decades and cities in the United States and Canada. He was unanimously recommended by the Planning Commission, which conducted the search for Mayor Scott.

"I'm proud to appoint Tim Keane as our new Planning Director," said Mayor Brandon M. Scott. "Tim will lead the Planning Department at a critical moment for Baltimore, as we build on our momentum and grow our City in a way that benefits all of our residents. Tim and his colleagues in the Planning Department will be responsible for creating a framework to fuel Baltimore's growth - because they know that people and businesses thrive in a city that is thoughtfully planned. Tim is the right choice to meet this moment, bringing experience, fresh ideas, and a real passion for cities and their people."

"It is an honor to serve as the next Planning Director for the City of Baltimore and to join Mayor Scott's administration," said Tim Keane. "Throughout my career I have sought to achieve the best outcomes for residents and their city government. For Baltimore to successfully grow, it requires a Planning Department capable of fostering the most effective, ingenious ideas about building a stronger, more united community of people."

"Tim understands that good planning is not only essential to a city's built environment, but also to economic and community development in the broadest sense," said Jon Laria, Chair of the Planning Commission. "And he wants to be in Baltimore now because he is committed to Mayor Scott's bold vision for a growing city."

Over his career, Keane has led the planning departments of four significant cities: Charleston, South Carolina; Atlanta, Georgia; Boise, Idaho; and Calgary, Canada. As the General Manager of Development Services for Calgary, Keane helped guide a rezoning that increased affordable housing opportunities citywide. Prior to Calgary, Keane was the Director of Planning and Development Services for Boise, Idaho, where he led passage of the first new zoning ordinance for the city since 1966.

For nearly seven years, Keane was the Commissioner of City Planning for Atlanta, Georgia, where he led Atlanta City Design, a citywide design concept centering equitable development that was incorporated into the city's charter. He also rebuilt Atlanta's permitting operations with a new business plan, implemented in advance of the busiest construction period in the city's history. In Atlanta, he also invented an Anti-Displacement Tax Fund to help protect low-income homeowners from displacement.

Before Atlanta, Keane worked for the city of Charleston for over 16 years, including as Director of Planning, Preservation & Sustainability. In Charleston, he led economic development in the city's downtown. In 2024, Keane returned to Charleston, helping lead the first reorganization of city government since the 1970s.

As Baltimore's Planning Director, Keane will oversee urban planning and design, land use and zoning, development, and capital budgeting, as well as the City's sustainability, food policy, and historic preservation offices. He will lead the department in its mission to build Baltimore as a diverse, sustainable, and thriving city of neighborhoods and as the economic and cultural driver for the region.

Keane holds both a Master of Science in Architecture and a Bachelor of Arts in Planning from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. He also served as a Fellow at the University of Miami School of Architecture and on the adjunct faculty at the College of Charleston.

Keane will be succeeding Chris Ryer, who announced his retirement earlier this year after an extraordinary career in Baltimore's communities and city government. His appointment is subject to confirmation by the City Council.

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