Ray Gastil is City Planning Director for Pittsburgh, where he leads initiatives to improve neighborhood planning, resilient communities, comprehensive planning, complete streets, and riverfront planning. His ongoing responsibilities include following through on the recommendations of the Affordable Housing Task Force that he co-chaired, as well as advancing the comprehensive plan, Eco innovation district, and downtown design and planning. The Department has responsibilities for the City Planning Commission, Art Commission, Zoning Board of Appeals, and Historic Review Commission.

He has served as planning director, Seattle, and Manhattan planning director, NYC, and as founding director of Van Alen Institute, where he led exhibitions, publications, and design competitions.