Welcome to Knoxville-Knox County Planning

You probably know us as Knoxville-Knox County Metropolitan Planning Commission, but we recently rebranded to make our identity simpler and clearer – part of our larger goal to be more responsive, engaging, and relevant to those we serve.

In our rebranding process, we reached out to stakeholders to see how our work and role in the community are perceived by the people we affect. That feedback helped us identify the qualities of our agency that are most important in meeting our above-stated goal, and we wanted our name and logo to convey those qualities: energy, rationality, imagination, optimism, and relatability.

Stakeholders told us that they are confused about who we are. The name, “Metropolitan Planning Commission” or “MPC,” referred to both our appointed board of commissioners and our staff, two different groups of people. Citizens who engaged with us were unclear about the difference, so we dropped “Commission” from our name and will reserve its use for the Planning Commissioners. We also removed “Metropolitan” from our name – again for clarity, because our service area is mainly Knoxville and Knox County, not the larger region.

With our new name comes a new logo and identifying colors. These visual elements are modernized and depict a “K” inside Knox County, showing that the communities we serve are at the center of all we do. We assigned a different color to each of our divisions to provide clear visual indicators that distinguish our varied functions and responsibilities.

As we are unveiling this new identity, we are also moving into a new office space. Our goals for the renovated physical space complement those for the rebrand: improved customer interactions, efficiency, and collaboration. The reconfigured workspace makes it easier for customers to access our staff and planning resources, as well as several city departments, in a one-stop-shop. We also reduced our footprint, removed walls, and exposed windows to lower our energy consumption. The new layout is more open, allowing space for staff to collaborate with one another and to work closely with residents, developers, and local officials.

Serving our community is the core of what we do, and we want that to be clear in every aspect of our work – our name, logo, office space, and customer interactions.

Who we are:

Knoxville-Knox County Planning is an agency focused on transformation and preservation, making it easier for people to connect, collaborate, and plan for a better community. We engage with residents, developers, and public officials to promote vibrant communities by offering land use and transportation planning services, community connections, and information resources.

Our divisions:

• Planning Services

• Transportation Planning

• Information and Research

Staff members prepare recommendations on land use decisions for the Planning Commission. The Planning Commission is made up of 15 volunteer members: seven are appointed by the Mayor of Knoxville and eight by the Knox County Mayor.

Read this overview of Knoxville-Knox County Planning to find out more about what we do.