Michael White
Associate Vice-President, Campus and Community Planning
University of British Columbia
Michael White is a respected leader in urban planning responsible for a broad set of municipal functions including campus planning and design for UBC’s Vancouver and Okanagan campuses, planning and development services, sustainability and engineering, transportation planning and community development.
The current strategic focus for Michael and his team is supporting the academic mission through the themes of connectivity, affordability and sustainability.
Michael has been with UBC since 2014 and is an urban planning professional with 22 years of experience in North America, the Middle East and Asia. His areas of specialization include urban and regional planning, transportation planning, strategic planning, community development, and public engagement.
As a key member of the City of Vancouver's Planning Department for over a decade, Michael had a leading role in community planning programs, transit integration and citywide policy initiatives. Of particular note was his role in managing both the technical teams as well the stakeholder engagement processes. Projects included Canada Line station planning, Community Vision Implementation, Neighbourhood Centres, False Creek Flats planning, EcoDensity and the City's Public Involvement Review.
From Vancouver, Michael moved on to become an accomplished international planner. As one of the founding managers of the Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council, Michael played a key role in managing and guiding the Council's Planning Policy team from inception in 2007 to 2011. His team led the creation of a range of plans and policies, including a new capital city plan for the UAE, and revitalization plans for existing communities. His team also pioneered public engagement in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. After returning from the Middle East in 2011, Michael became a Principal for AECOM Canada based in Vancouver. He led and participated in a range of projects including design guidelines for Calgary's Centre City, a strategic plan for Toronto's Planning Division, community plans in Western Canada, and city plans in Abu Dhabi and the Philippines.
Michael holds a Master of Science in Planning from the University of Toronto and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of British Columbia, and is a Member of the Canadian Institute of Planners.