Executive Order 13503: Establishment of the White House Office of Urban Affairs
President: Barack Obama
Created a White House office to coordinate federal policy affecting cities and metropolitan areas.
Status: In effect. Is Executive Order 13503 still in effect? Yes. Executive Order 13503 remains in effect. See Federal Register record.
What does Executive Order 13503 do?
EO 13503 placed an Office of Urban Affairs within the Executive Office of the President to advise on metropolitan policy, coordinate agencies and work with state and local partners. It assigned no independent regulatory or grant power and ceased operating as a distinct office after the administration.
Before and after
Before the order
Urban issues were handled across agencies without this dedicated White House coordinating office.
After the order
A director coordinated place-based policy and metropolitan engagement during the Obama administration.
Who had to do what
| Agency / office | Action | Timing / position |
|---|---|---|
| Director | Advise the President and coordinate urban policy | Ended |
| Executive agencies | Cooperate and provide information | Historical |
| State and local partners | Participate in outreach | Historical |
What happened next
EO 13503 created the office.
Legal and source detail
How it works legally
The order preserved agency authority and appropriations limits and created no enforceable rights.
Sources by type
If a source is unavailable, first check the cited publisher or another official repository. The cited publisher remains the authority.
Primary and official sources
Orders, laws, court records and official implementation material.
- GovInfo — Executive Orders collection (opens in a new tab) Official record
How we checked this
Last checked against the sources above on September 15, 2026. How we research →