Michael von Hausen

Michael von Hausen brings more than 40 years of teaching, training, facilitating and working around the world in the areas of land development facilitation, planning, finance and urban design. Michael is one of Canada’s leading urban planning facilitators and urban design professionals. He is president of MVH Urban Planning & Design Inc., an international consulting practice in sensitive land development planning, sustainable urban design, and community partnerships in Canada, United States, China, Russia and Mexico.   

Michael combines his practice with cutting-edge research, writing and teaching. He is an adjunct professor in the Graduate Urban Studies Program at Simon Fraser University and curriculum coordinator of the award-winning Urban Design Certificate Program teaching in Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary and Ottawa. Michael also developed and facilitates the three courses for the School of Development of the Urban Development Institute, Pacific Region. His book, Dynamic Urban Design: A Handbook for Creating Sustainable Communities Worldwide, describes the theory, practice and potential of urban design as a catalyst for sustainable development. His 2019 book, Small is Big: Making the Next Great Small to Medium Size Downtowns, unveils the potential of small to mid-size communities.

Michael received his bachelor’s degree in landscape architecture with honours from the University of Guelph and his master’s degree from Harvard University in urban design with a specialty in real estate development economics. He is a registered professional planner, landscape architect, LEED® Accredited Professional, as well as a certified Public Participation Practitioner (IAP2). Michael is a Fellow of the Canadian Institute of Planners – the Institute’s highest honour.

In 2014, Michael was recognized as an honored member of the Heritage Registry of Who’s Who for Executives and Professionals. His firm has won 10 planning and development awards over the last decade. Most recently, his firm, in association with the City of Penticton, won the 2014 Gold Award from the Planning Institute of British Columbia for the Penticton Downtown Plan and the Award of Merit from the Alberta Professional Planners Institute for the City of Leduc Downtown Master Plan in association with the City of Leduc. In 2019, his firm received the Award for Planning Excellence from the Canadian Institute of Planners for the Cowichan Bay Vitalization Strategy. In 2020, Michael received the Research and Innovation Award by the Ontario Society of Landscape Architects.

Michael is passionate about cities and community design. He is an avid runner and cyclist. He spends his free time on trails, along oceans, rivers, and in cities exploring, sketching, writing and thinking about ways of making this world an even more extraordinary place.