Collection consists of ordinances, committee meeting minutes, letters of pettion and protest, and maps documenting the early work of the City Plan Commission between 1929 and 1965. Other than the minutes of the City Plan Commission, beginning in 1919, these are the oldest records of this body.

As established by the Dallas City Charter [Chapter XV, Section 3] and City Code [Section 51A-3.101], the City Plan Commission is responsible for making recommendations to the City Council regarding planning and zoning matters, and for administering Chapter 212 of the Texas Local Government Code regarding the platting and recording of subdivisions and additions. The City Plan Commission achieves its objectives for land use through planning and regulation of land development.

The City Plan Commission of the City of Dallas was created in April 1919 by charter amendment election “to act as an advisory board to the city council or other governing body relating to all nature of public improvements, civic improvements, city planning, opening, widening and changing of streets, routing of public utilities, controlling and regulating traffic upon the public streets and ways of the City of Dallas, and other matters relating to the city improvements as the City Plan Commission and the governing body of the City of Dallas may deem beneficial to the City of Dallas.” Its responsibilities have expanded to include commercial and residential zoning and planning for historic preservation.