• Town Planner and Programme Manager
• Public Health England

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Michael is a Chartered Town Planner and Honorary Member of the UK Faculty of Public Health. His educational and professional background started in architecture before completing a Bachelor of Planning (First Class Honours) at the University of Auckland, a Master of Science in Urban Regeneration at University College London and recently a Master by Research at Leeds Beckett University.

Michael has extensive experience and practical knowledge on a wide range of planning topics in the UK and internationally in New Zealand, Europe and China, such as health and wellbeing, green infrastructure, climate change, renewable energy and sustainable development. He has a particular interest and specialism in the area of healthy planning and development. He previously led the Town and Country Planning Association’s initiative on spatial planning for health for nearly 10 years which included supporting councils across the UK, and led its involvement in developing guidance for the NHS England Healthy New Towns programme. He is now Public Health England’s Programme Manager for Planning and Health, and is co-founder of the Health and Wellbeing in Planning Network, Advisor to the Emerald Open Research Sustainable Cities Gateway, and Visiting Fellow at the World Health Organisation Collaborating Centre for Healthy Urban Environments.

He is committed to ensuring everyone has access to high quality placemaking which meet sustainability and healthy development principles. This includes working collaboratively with public, private and third sectors in designing, planning and delivering developments that have a positive impact on people and their wellbeing needs.