Jitin Kain
Master of Urban Planning, 2002
Director of Planning for the South Bend Department of Community Investment
Jitin Kain serves as the director of planning for the city of South Bend in the Department of Community Investment. Under the leadership of one of the country’s youngest and most progressive mayors, Mayor Pete Buttigieg, Jitin is working to revitalize South Bend through transformative ideas.
Jitin started his career in urban planning with the city of South Bend after graduating from Ball State University with a master of urban and regional planning in 2002. The same year, he began work on South Bend’s first comprehensive plan in over 40 years where he partnered with local residents, businesses and community leaders in shaping the future vision for the City. This experience led him to be appointed as a loaned executive for the next four years with the local downtown revitalization organization, Downtown South Bend Inc., to reorganize and reinvigorate interest in downtown business, living, and socializing.
Jitin returned to South Bend as a senior economic development specialist in 2011 to oversee redevelopment projects in the downtown area as well as the planning and implementation of infrastructure at Ignition Park, the city’s first state certified technology park.
Since being named director of planning in 2012, Jitin has been involved in several exciting planning and redevelopment projects that are reshaping the urban fabric of South Bend. Currently, he oversees the city’s Smart Streets Initiative, which looks to redefine the role of streets in the community. This includes the conversion of downtown one-way pairs into two-way streets, among other road diet projects. He is also working closely with area developers to bring more housing options to the downtown area, which has seen resurgence in urban living since 2011.
Jitin is a member of the Downtown South Bend Rotary Club and lives in South Bend with his wife and two children.