Mark Rhoades, AICP
Mark founded Rhoades Planning Group in 2012 and has more than 25 years of experience as a public and private sector land use planner, developer and development consultant. Between 1998 and August 2007, he served as City Planning Manager for the City of Berkeley during a period of unprecedented development activity and increasing politicization of land use. Over the past ten years Mark has worked with private-sector clients to design, manage and entitle mixed-use development projects with close to 2,000 dwelling units in RPG’s consulting portfolio. These include two of the largest development projects in Berkeley’s history. Mark’s understanding of both the bureaucratic and the political environments in cities and his ability to manage both in tandem sets RPG apart from other consultants. This includes a deep understanding of the California Environmental Quality Act and state laws such as Density Bonus and the Permit Streamlining Act. As Berkeley’s City Planning Manager and Zoning Officer, Mark was responsible for both policy development and implementation. His major efforts revolved around infill and new transit-oriented housing while achieving a high degree of project feasibility and community responsiveness. Approximately 2,400 housing units were built or approved during Mark’s tenure in Berkeley’s Planning Department. Prior to Berkeley, Mark was a Senior Planner/Project Manager at Pacific Municipal Consultants. Mark consulted with local agencies on general plans, specific area plans, development projects, CEQA analysis and entitlement process improvements. Mark has been acknowledged for his professional leadership by the City of Berkeley, and by the American Planning Association (APA) which awarded Berkeley the California State Chapter Award for Distinguished Leadership for the City’s infill development program, which he designed. He has lectured extensively at UC Berkeley for graduate courses in planning and real estate, at Housing California, Urban Land Institute, and at various APA conferences. Mark is currently a member of the American Planning Association, the California Planning Roundtable, the Urban Land Institute, and on the Board of Directors of the Berkeley Chamber of Commerce, Berkeley Design Advocates and the Berkeley Public Library Foundation. Rhoades Planning Group’s strategic mission is to support community growth by focusing on large and small projects that have the ability to transform neighborhoods. mark@rhoadesplanninggroup.com