The primary duties of the Urban Design Division include:

• Preparing urban design plans for Philadelphia's districts, neighborhoods, streetscapes, and other public spaces;
• Assisting the City Planning Commission's three planning divisions with physical design issues and the visualization of planning and policy recommendations;
• Advising public agencies and private organizations with respect to design issues;
• Creating design concepts for public initiatives in the areas of economic development, neighborhood renewal, commercial revitalization, and the enhancement of the urban environment;
• Reviewing proposals for building facade improvements along the City's major commercial and cultural corridors, including South Broad Street between City Hall and Washington Avenue, and on Market, Chestnut, and Walnut Streets from 6th Street to the Schuylkill River;
• Reviewing urban design and architectural elements of new development projects, and coordinating the City's design approval process with the Historical Commission, Art Commission, and Redevelopment Authority.

The scale of projects that are undertaken by the Urban Design Division range from specific sites to City districts encompassing several neighborhoods