Desmond Okoye

Senior Urban Planner
[email protected] (503) 555-0117 Portland, OR planportland.gov/staff/okoye
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Profile

Urban planner with 10 years in comprehensive planning and zoning reform. Authored the rezoning package that unlocked 3,200 housing units along 3 transit corridors.

Experience

Senior Urban Planner2020 — Present
City of Portland — Bureau of Planning & Sustainability
  • Authored the Division Street corridor rezoning, adding capacity for 3,200 housing units.
  • Ran 24 public workshops (1,100+ attendees) shaping the 2035 Comprehensive Plan update.
  • Managed a 5-planner team delivering 14 land-use reviews per quarter, 96% on-time.
Associate Planner2016 — 2020
City of Tacoma — Planning & Development
  • Drafted form-based code for the Hilltop overlay district, adopted unanimously by council.
  • Coordinated with 8 agencies on a $40M streetscape and transit-access project.
Planning Technician2014 — 2016
Pierce County Planning
  • Processed 200+ permit and variance applications; reduced average review time 22%.

Skills

Policy
Comprehensive planning, zoning code, form-based code
Tools
ArcGIS, CommunityViz, Illustrator
Practice
Public engagement, staff reports, council presentations

Education

M.U.P. Urban Planning
2012–2014
Portland State University
B.A. Geography
2008–2012
University of Washington

Certification

AICP Certified Planner