City commissioners will get a set of outside eyes to help them begin a process to create a new vision for the community.

The American Institute of Architects announced Monday that Lawrence was one of eight cities selected to participate in its Sustainable Design Assessment Team grant program.

The award will bring a team of architects and other planning professionals to the community this year to help the city develop a road map for creating a new vision to guide growth and other development matters.

The grant will bring $15,000 worth of in-kind services to the community. The city will be responsible for matching the grant with $5,000 worth of funding or in-kind services to support the team.

Other cities chosen were New Orleans; Syracuse, N.Y.; Longview, Wash.; Guemes Island, Wash.; Northeast, Mich.; Northern, Nev.; and Hagerstown, Md.