Kansas City, Missouri – Kansas City’s planning work will move forward under familiar leadership after City Manager Mario Vasquez appointed Kyle Elliott as Director of the City Planning and Development Department, placing a longtime city official in charge of one of the departments most closely tied to Kansas City’s growth.
Elliott steps into the permanent role after serving as Interim Director of Planning and Development since August 2025. His appointment follows more than 20 years of work in urban planning, housing, land use policy, and community development, with nearly all of that time spent serving Kansas City.
Over the years, he has held leadership positions in both the Planning and Housing departments, giving him a broad view of how neighborhoods, infrastructure, development, and public policy connect.
As director, Elliott will oversee a wide range of city functions, including long-range planning, development review, zoning administration, historic preservation, permitting, inspections, and policy work.
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The department serves a city of more than 500,000 residents, making its decisions central to how Kansas City grows, protects its historic character, supports neighborhoods, and handles future development.
“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.”
Elliott’s work has included major planning and modernization efforts across the city. He has helped guide updates to Kansas City’s comprehensive plan, neighborhood and corridor plans, transportation planning projects, transit-oriented development strategies, and improvements to the development review process. He also played a role in rebuilding the department’s GIS and analytics capabilities, while helping launch efforts aimed at making permitting and development services more efficient.
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For Elliott, the appointment marks another chapter in a career closely tied to Kansas City government. “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.”
He said he looks forward to working with city staff, residents, stakeholders, and the development community to support “high-quality, sustainable, transparent, and connected growth” as Kansas City continues to evolve.
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 since 2005.
