Regional Spotlight: Hampton Roads Planning District Commission (HRPDC) The Planning District Commission is a regional organization representing this area's sixteen local governments. The HRPDC was formed in 1990 by the merger of the Southeastern Virginia Planning District Commission and the Peninsula Planning District Commission. The purpose of planning district commissions is to encourage and facilitate local government cooperation and state-local cooperation in addressing, on a regional basis, problems of greater than local significance. The HRPDC mission is to: serve as a forum for local and elected officials and chief administrators to deliberate and decide issues of regional importance; provide the local governments and citizens of Hampton Roads credible and timely planning, research and analysis on matters of mutual concern; and provide leadership and offer strategies and support services to other public and private, local and regional agencies, in their efforts to improve the region's quality of life. The HRPDC serves as a resource of technical expertise to its member local governments. It provides assistance on local and regional issues pertaining to Economics, Physical and Environmental Planning, and Transportation. The HRPDC staff also serves as the support staff for the Hampton Roads Metropolitan Planning Organization, which is responsible for transportation planning and decision-making in the region. In response to the devastation that occurred in the Gulf Coast in 2005 after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the HRPDC began guiding the communities in establishing a $6 million regionwide emergency communications system. The system provides dedicated communications between communities as well as state and federal agencies during a time of crisis. HRPDC’s leadership in addressing an important regional need for all of our citizens is a testament to their continued commitment to Hampton Roads as a growing, dynamic, and successful region. LINK: Hampton Roads Planning District Commission Regional Spotlight Archive: Read More About What's Working in Hampton Roads