Governor appoints UIC faculty member to regional planning board

Gov. J.B. Pritzker has appointed Abolfazl “Kouros” Mohammadian, head of the civil, materials, and environmental engineering department, to the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning board.

Mohammadian was asked to be a board member based on his research expertise and extensive publications in the area of urban transportation systems.

The agency handles long-range planning for seven Chicago-area counties: Cook, DuPage, Kane, Kendall, Lake, McHenry, and Will. Its strategies address a wide range of issues, including transportation, housing, economic development, open space, and the environment.

Mohammadian called his appointment “an opportunity to give back to Chicagoland communities and beyond by sharing my expertise, skills, and experiences with CMAP staff, elected officials on the CMAP board, and other experts with the ultimate goal of improving quality of life in our region.” He has been involved with the agency since moving to Chicago in 2003 and has completed research projects on its behalf.

“As a board member, I will contribute to development and implementation of strategies for an integrated land-use and transportation planning process, economic development, environmental and natural resources protection, and human and community development for the northeastern Illinois region,” he said.

In his new role, Mohammadian looks forward to working with other board members to achieve several goals.

“I’d like to contribute to developing a policy framework under which all regional plans are developed, and priorities for transportation, land-use, environmental, and economic development in the region are identified and promoted,” he said.