Planning District Commissions (PDC) are voluntary associations and were created in 1969 pursuant to the Virginia Area Development Act and a regionally executed Charter Agreement. The HRPDC was formed in 1990 by the merger of the Southeastern Virginia Planning District Commission and the Peninsula Planning District Commission. The purpose of planning district commissions, as set out in the Code of Virginia, Section 15.2-4207 is …to encourage and facilitate local government cooperation and state-local cooperation in addressing on a regional basis problems of greater than local significance. A PDC serves as a resource of technical expertise to its member local governments. A Virginia Planning District, also serves as a region's Affiliate Data Center, providing economic, environmental, transportation, census, and other relevant information to businesses, organizations and citizens