Michael A. Dobbins, FAIA, AICP

Associate Professor

EDUCATION:

Yale University, B.A. 1960

Yale University School of Architecture, Master of Architecture 1965

PROFESSIONAL:

Licensed Architect, California #25430 - Georgia #9657

National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) #20605

Fellow, American Institute of Architects (FAIA)

American Planning Association

American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP)

Urban Land Institute (Steering Committee, Atlanta Council)

Congress for New Urbanism

AIA National Regional and Urban Design Committee, (Chairman 1985 and 1986)

AIA Atlanta Urban Design Committee

EXPERIENCE:

August 2002 - Present

Visiting Associate Professor and TVS Design Critic ('02 - '03), College of Architecture, Georgia Tech (part time instructor of Planning, fall 1996 - spring 2002)

April 2002 - Present

Advisory services agreements with the City of Atlanta and the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority for urban design, transportation and land use programs and projects

June 1996 - April 2002  

City of Atlanta

Commissioner, Department of Planning, Development and Neighborhood Conservation

(with responsibility for the City's planning, zoning, housing, building permitting, inspections, code enforcement, human services, and HUD programs, as well as coordination with the Atlanta Development Authority and the Atlanta Housing Authority)

January 1993 - June 1996

University of California at Berkeley

Director of Physical and Environmental Planning

January 1988 - January 1993

City of Birmingham

Director, Department of Urban Planning

PROFESSIONAL AND CIVIC ACTIVITIES: 

Planning and urban design assistance activities and speaking engagements

(1996 - present, illustrative)

• Resource panelist for "Ten Principles for Successful Development Around Transit," published by the Urban Land Institute (2003)

• Tianjin, China: American Planning Association resource team member for regional

  planning technical assistance exchange with Tianjin Planning Institute (2002)

• Resource panelist for Workforce Housing Strategies, Urban Land Institute (2002)

• Atlanta Neighborhood Development Partnership, board member (1997 - 2002)

• Rotterdam: ULI - The Netherlands, Symposium on Following up the

  Big Event - Atlanta, Barcelona, Rotterdam: presenter (2001)

• Philadelphia: University of  Pennsylvania Symposium on City Planning

  Practice - Atlanta, Cincinnati, Philadelphia, presenter (2001)

• Atlanta:  Institute for Traffic Engineering: Transportation/Land Use Strategies

  in Atlanta, presenter (2001)

• Berlin: ULI - Europe Convention: Atlanta since the Olympics, presenter (2001)

• Atlanta: Federal Transit Administration/MARTA Bus Rapid Transit Symposium: BRT

  and land use opportunities, presenter (2000)

• Resource panelist for "Reinventing the Commercial Strip," published by the Urban Land

  Institute (2000)

• Atlanta: Harvard Club of Georgia: Atlanta - Past, Present and Future, presenter (with

  John Portman and David Crane, 1999)

• Birmingham: Birmingham 2025 Symposium: Regional Land Use, Transportation and

  Environmental Development Strategies, presenter (1999)

• Atlanta: HUD HOPE VI Convention: HOPE VI and Community Revitalization,

  presenter (1999)

• Charlottesville: Mayors Institute on City Design:  design team member (1998)

• Boston: American Planning Association Convention: Transportation/Land Use

  Alternatives: presenter (with Larry Frank, Hank Dittmar and Brian Leary, 1998)

• Chattanooga: Mayors Institute on City Design, South: design team member (1998)

• AIA Alabama - design awards jury member (1997)

• Atlanta: American Public Transit Association Conference: Prospects for Transit Oriented

  Development, presenter (1997)

Planning and urban design assistance activities and speaking engagements

(1992 - 1996, illustrative)

• Charlottesville: Mayors Institute on City Design:  design team member (1996)

• Berkeley: Mayors Institute on City Design, West, design team member (1993 - 1995)

• Berkeley:  "Environmental Spirit" Symposium, "Place Making," presenter (1995)

• New Haven:  "The Future of the American City" Symposium of the New Haven Arts

  Council, urban design presenter (with Alex Krieger, Fred Koetter and Alan

  Plattus, 1994)

• Seattle:  American Collegiate Schools of Architecture National Convention, "Poetics of

  Place," responder (with Anne Vernez Moudon, 1993)

• Portland, OR:  Institute for Urban Design, "Urban Design in Unlikely Places," presenter

  (1993)

• Chicago:  American Planning Association, "Using Local Assets in Neighborhood

  Planning," presenter (with John McKnight, 1993)

• New Haven:  President's Urban Advisory Council, Yale University (1993)

• Birmingham:  Presentation and tours on Birmingham neighborhood

              revitalization programs and practices for Atlanta Council members,

              neighborhood leaders and city staff (1992-3)

• New Orleans:  National League of Cities, Birmingham Urban Design Strategies,

  presenter (1992)   

• Chicago:  American Planning Association:  Steering Committee member,

  "Agenda for America's Communities" (1992-3)

• Savannah:  forum on downtown planning and urban design, for

              Mayor Susan Weiner and downtown development interests, supported by

  the Mayors Institute on City Design and National Endowment for the Arts, presenter (1993)

• Florence, AL:  program for Alabama, Tennessee, and Mississippi chapters of

              American Planning Association, presenter (1992)

• Owensboro, KY:  lecture and training program for Mayor David Adkisson,

              downtown development interests and city staff (1992)

• Chattanooga:  programs for Tennessee AIA and APA State Councils,

  presenter (1992)

• Louisville:  lecture and professional exchange for AIA Central Kentucky

              Chapter, and city and county elected officials and staff (1992)

• Jackson, MS:  lecture and downtown development program for Mississippi

              State University School of Architecture, Jackson Center, and downtown

              development interests (1992)

• New Orleans:  Mayors Institute on City Design, South, design faculty member

  (1991 and 1992)

PUBLICATIONS AND REPORTS (illustrative)

• Renaissance Policy Board Report (writer and editor, with David Sjoquist), City of

  Atlanta, 1998

• "Sprawl Things Considered," (with Margaret P. Dobbins), "American City and County,"

  September 1997

• "Urban Design and Urban Life," a panel paper given with Fred Koetter, Alex Krieger

              and Alan J. Plattus at "The Future of the American City" symposium,

  sponsored and published by the Alliance for Architecture, New Haven, Connecticut, February 1994

• "City Catalyst," by Lynn Nesmith, about my role in Birmingham, "Architecture,"

              May 1992

• "In Birmingham, Design Counts" (with Margaret P. Dobbins) on the role of design

              in Birmingham's planning process in Planning, published by the

              American Planning Association, January 1992

• "Birmingham Plans" - comprehensive plan for Birmingham, director and principal

              author, 1992

AWARDS AND HONORS (illustrative)

• American Institute of Architects, Atlanta Chapter, Ivan Allen, Sr. award, 2002

• Proclamation from the City of Atlanta in recognition of service as Commissioner of

  Planning (2002)

• Proclamation from the board of the Georgia Department of Transportation in recognition

  of service as City of Atlanta Commissioner of Planning (2002)

• Phoenix Award for service to the City of Atlanta (1997 and 2001)

• Numerous awards and recognitions from community, civic, non-profit and professional

  organizations in Atlanta (1996 -2002)

• National Preservation Honor Award, National Trust for Historic Preservation, 1993,

              (with others) for the creation of the Birmingham Civil Rights District

• American Planning Association:  Alabama Chapter award for Oxmoor planning

              process, including inter-jurisdictional and private-public collaboration

              and performance based zoning ordinance, 1992

• Inducted to College of Fellows of American Institute of Architects, 1992

• Birmingham Chamber of Commerce Award for Birmingham's Urban Design Program

              (program director), 1991