Metropolitan Planning Council: Jobs, Contact, Research and Chicago Planning Guide
Use this page as an action guide for MPC: find contact details, office directions, current career status, research resources, annual reports, events, sponsorship routes, staff links, and the difference between MPC and a government planning-permit office.
Pick the user task. Each section gives only the official route and the next practical step.
Metropolitan Planning Council at a Glance
Jump to the Exact MPC Answer
Official MPC Links by User Task
Use the official links below after choosing the task. This avoids old job-board pages, wrong “MPC” organizations and copied summaries.
🏙️ MPC Website
Start here for current MPC navigation, news, featured work and official pages.
Open MPC Home📘 About MPC
Use for MPC identity, mission, built-environment focus and region served.
Read About MPC☎️ Contact Page
Use for office address, phone, media contact, staff directory and transit details.
Open Contact Page💼 Join Our Team
Use for current opening status, workplace values and application route.
Open Careers🧭 Our Work
Use for pillars, focus areas and MPC’s research-policy-advocacy model.
Explore Our Work📚 Resource Library
Use for reports, maps, presentations, publications, testimony and videos.
Open Resources📊 Annual Reports / 990
Use for annual reports, audited financial statements and Form 990 documents.
Open Financials🤝 Get Involved
Use for donate, subscribe, sponsor, influence and careers routes.
Get InvolvedWhat Is the Metropolitan Planning Council?
MPC is an independent planning and policy organization serving the Chicago region. It works on built-environment problems through research, policy, collaboration, advocacy and technical assistance.
A Chicago-region planning and policy organization focused on equity, infrastructure, housing, transportation, sustainability and government systems.
A building-permit office, zoning approval counter, local planning application portal or municipal planning commission.
City of Chicago plus Cook, DuPage, Kane, Kendall, Lake, McHenry and Will counties.
Its work is regional: housing, transit, water, land use and climate issues do not stop at city or county borders.
Metropolitan Planning Council Contact Details
Use MPC contact details for organization, media, event, partnership, sponsorship, donation, program or staff questions.
| Need | Official route | What to prepare |
|---|---|---|
| General contact | Main phone: 312-922-5616 | Name, organization, topic and whether it is media, event, staff or program related. |
| Office address | 140 S. Dearborn St., Suite 1400, Chicago, IL 60603 | Meeting host, date, time and transit route. |
| Media request | Media contact listed on Contact page | Outlet, deadline, story topic, interview request and phone number. |
| Issue/program question | MPC staff directory | Correct work area: housing, transportation, environment, planning, development or government. |
| Sponsor/event question | Sponsor or Get Involved page | Event interest, organization, sponsorship level question and contact details. |
Metropolitan Planning Council Jobs and Join Our Team Page
Use the official Join Our Team page for live openings. Job-board pages can be stale; MPC’s own page is the safer source.
MPC’s Join Our Team page says there are no openings at this time and encourages visitors to check back regularly.
Do not rely only on old job-board listings or social posts; confirm every role on MPC’s official careers page.
Equitable, prosperous, sustainable, engaged and responsible.
MPC states it is an equal-opportunity employer committed to diversity, equity and inclusion.
Applicant checklist
- Open MPC’s official careers page first.
- Confirm whether any role is currently open.
- Match your resume to MPC’s policy areas, not generic planning keywords.
- Prepare evidence of research, policy writing, community engagement, GIS/data analysis, communications or project coordination.
- Check whether the role is full-time, assistant/advisor, fellowship-style, hybrid or temporary.
Research Assistants and Policy Advisors: What the Role Actually Involves
MPC says research assistants and policy advisors support projects, programs and staff through practical research and implementation work.
What Does MPC Work On?
Use this section to match your question to the right MPC topic before opening resources or contacting staff.
| Work area | Plain-English focus | Open this when you need |
|---|---|---|
| Housing | Accessible and affordable housing, housing disparities and inclusive neighborhood stability. | Housing plans, affordability, community development or equity context. |
| Development | Responsible development, land use, zoning, incentives and development reform. | Policy context around building, zoning reform or equitable development. |
| Planning | Collaborative regional planning across land use, housing, transportation, water and economic development. | Regional planning process, cross-jurisdiction work or technical assistance. |
| Transportation | Transit, mobility, accessibility, transit-oriented development and regional transportation systems. | Transit reform, TOD, mobility equity or transportation advocacy. |
| Environment | Water, flooding, green infrastructure, climate resilience and environmental justice. | Stormwater, lead service lines, water affordability or resilience resources. |
| Government | Transparent, fair, capable public systems and civic participation. | Policy agenda, local government reform or public-sector capacity context. |
MPC’s Three Pillars: Use the Right Door
MPC organizes its work around three pillars. Use these as a shortcut before browsing projects.
Housing access, resilient neighborhoods, community-centered planning and engagement.
Inclusive development standards, sustainable infrastructure and fair capital investment.
Government capacity, transparency, fairness and tools to transform inequitable systems.
Annual Reports, Financials and Official PDF Details
MPC’s Financials page links annual reports, audited financial statements and Form 990 documents. These are better sources than third-party summaries when checking the organization’s activity and funding.
| Official document area | What it gives you | Best use |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 Annual Report | 90th anniversary context, mission/vision, 2024 project highlights and financial summary. | Understanding current priorities and proof of activity. |
| Annual reports archive | FY2024, FY2023, FY2022, FY2020 and FY2019 annual reports. | Trend and historical checks. |
| Audited financial statements | Independent audited financial documents by year. | Donor, grant, sponsorship or due-diligence review. |
| Form 990 | IRS nonprofit filing documents listed by year. | Governance, revenue, compensation and nonprofit transparency review. |
How to Use MPC Resources Without Getting Lost
MPC’s resource library includes audio, maps, presentations, publications, testimony and videos. Use the resource type and topic together.
Use Resources and filter/scan for Publication. Check title, file type, date posted and whether there is a download file.
Use News & Events for current news, blogs, testimony, event recaps and issue updates.
Search by topic: transit, housing, zoning, stormwater, water affordability, lead service lines, BRT or ETOD.
Open the original MPC resource page, not a copied file from another site. Record title, date, type and URL.
Topic shortcuts
- Transit: Transforming Transit, Plan of Action for Regional Transit, Universal Mobility, BRT, ETOD.
- Housing: Regional Housing Initiative, Homes for a Changing Region, re-entry housing, Cost of Segregation.
- Environment: Right Infrastructure Right Place, StormStore, stormwater, water affordability, lead service lines.
- Government: Change Lab, policy agendas, civic participation, municipal capacity and public systems.
Events, Sponsorship, Donate and Subscribe
Use this section when you want to attend, sponsor, support or follow MPC updates.
| User goal | Official route | Practical note |
|---|---|---|
| Attend an MPC event | Events page | Check whether the event is public, virtual, invite-only, annual or a past recap. |
| Sponsor an event | Sponsor page | MPC lists sponsorship as a way to support forums with leaders, partners, officials and residents. |
| Donate | Donate route through Get Involved | Use only the official MPC donation route for payments. |
| Subscribe | The Catalyst / e-news signup | MPC says emails are processed by Mailchimp and users can unsubscribe. |
| Influence policy work | Get Involved / Influence | Use this when your goal is advocacy or civic participation, not a permit application. |
MPC Office Map, Transit and Parking Reality
MPC’s office is at 140 S. Dearborn St., Suite 1400, Chicago, IL 60603. Confirm your meeting before visiting.
Metropolitan Planning Council Office
Use this map for location reference. Transit is the preferred way to visit.
MPC says the Monroe Blue Line station is at the office’s front door.
Red, Green, Purple, Orange, Pink and Brown line stations are listed within four blocks.
Union Station is described as an easy 10-minute walk. Millennium Station is also nearby.
MPC says it does not provide parking for employees or guests.
When Metropolitan Planning Council Is Not the Right Office
This is the most important confusion filter for search users. MPC is not a planning-approval department.
| Your need | Do not use MPC for this | Better route |
|---|---|---|
| Building permit | MPC does not issue permits. | Use the city or county building department for the property location. |
| Zoning variance | MPC is not a zoning board. | Use the local zoning office or zoning board of appeals. |
| Private planning application | MPC does not track private application status. | Use the local planning department portal. |
| Code violation | MPC is not an enforcement agency. | Use city/county code enforcement. |
| Policy research or regional planning context | This is an MPC use case. | Use MPC resources, project pages and staff directory. |
MPC vs Similar Search Results
Search results mix several unrelated meanings. Use this table to avoid clicking the wrong result.
| Search result type | What it is | Use when |
|---|---|---|
| Metropolitan Planning Council | Chicago-region independent planning and policy organization. | You need MPC Chicago contact, jobs, reports, events or policy work. |
| Metropolitan Planning Committee | Government planning committee term used in Indian urban governance context. | You are researching constitutional or municipal planning committees in India. |
| Metropolitan Council / Met Council | Regional body in the Twin Cities, Minnesota. | You need Twin Cities transit or regional planning services. |
| MPC annual report / Marathon Petroleum | Marathon Petroleum Corporation investor materials. | You are researching Marathon Petroleum, not Metropolitan Planning Council. |
| Job-board MPC listings | Third-party job pages that may be stale. | Use only as secondary context; verify on official MPC careers page. |
Official Source and PDF Details Converted Into This Guide
- About page: MPC identity, Chicago-region scope, built-environment focus and seven-county region.
- Contact page: address, phone, media contact route, staff directory route, transit options and no-parking note.
- Careers page: current no-openings message, workplace values and equal-opportunity/diversity statement.
- Research assistants page: original research, writing, community meetings, GIS and quantitative analysis responsibilities.
- Our Work page: pillars, work areas and model of research, policy, advocacy and technical assistance.
- Resources page: library types including audio, maps, presentations, publications, testimony and video.
- Financials page: annual reports, audited financial statements and 990 forms.
- 2024 Annual Report PDF: mission/vision, 90th anniversary, 2024 project highlights and FY24 financial summary.
- Events/Get Involved/Sponsor pages: donate, subscribe, sponsor, executive advisors, events and MPC engagement routes.
Metropolitan Planning Council FAQs
What is the Metropolitan Planning Council?
Metropolitan Planning Council, or MPC, is an independent planning and policy organization serving the Chicago region. It works on built-environment issues through research, policy, advocacy, collaboration and technical assistance.
Is Metropolitan Planning Council a government office?
No. MPC is not a government permit office, zoning board, city planning counter or construction approval department.
Where is Metropolitan Planning Council located?
MPC lists its office at 140 S. Dearborn St., Suite 1400, Chicago, IL 60603.
What is the Metropolitan Planning Council phone number?
MPC lists its main phone number as 312-922-5616.
How do I apply for a job at Metropolitan Planning Council?
Use MPC’s official Join Our Team page. Current roles can change, so check the live page and follow official instructions rather than relying on old job-board listings.
Does MPC currently have job openings?
MPC’s official Join Our Team page currently says there are no openings at this time and encourages visitors to check back regularly.
What areas does MPC work on?
MPC work areas include housing, development, planning, transportation, environment and government. Its broader pillars are Thriving Communities, Equitable Infrastructure and Just Public Systems.
Does MPC publish annual reports and Form 990 documents?
Yes. MPC’s Financials page links annual reports, audited financial statements and Form 990 documents.
Does MPC provide parking for visitors?
MPC’s contact page says it does not provide parking for employees or guests and that the office is well served by transit.
Does MPC help with building permits or zoning approvals?
No. For permits, zoning approvals, planning applications or code enforcement, use the city, county or municipal government office for the property location.
Final Summary: Metropolitan Planning Council
Use MPC’s official site for Chicago-region planning policy work, research, reports, events, careers, sponsorship, staff contacts and ways to get involved.
Use MPC’s Contact page for the main phone number, address, media contact, staff directory and visitor/transit guidance.
Use the Financials page for annual reports, audited financial statements and Form 990 documents. Use the Join Our Team page for live careers status.
Use a government building, zoning or planning department—not MPC—for permits, zoning approvals, property-specific application status or code enforcement.