The Planning Commissioner Online (PCO) Program is an innovative program developed jointly by the Urban Land Institute's Chicago District Council and the University of Illinois at Chicago - Great Cities Institute. The program addresses the core mission of ULI to provide leadership in the responsible use of land and in creating and sustaining thriving communities worldwide. There are hundreds of planning commissioners in the Chicago area, many of whom do not have the resources or expertise to plan for future growth in their communities. The Urban Land Institute Chicago and Great Cities Institute are in a unique position to provide the unbiased guidance, strategic vision and educational materials local governments need to make good decisions.

The Goal of PCO

The goal is to provide an online course that provides simple, constructive learning modules that are geared toward the "volunteer" plan commissioner. Taught by University of Illinois at Chicago faculty and ULI Chicago members, the course provides busy plan commission members an affordable, quality educational experience while allowing them the flexibility of accessing the course when their schedules allow. ULI Chicago believes communities throughout the Chicago area can use PCO as a critical first-learning experience for new commissioners. It will provide the necessary tools to do their job effectively and provide the leadership in planning and development that their communities need. While other organizations offer training on a sporadic basis throughout the year, the PCO program is the only on-going, affordable, quality course for educating plan commissioners.