The statistics are sobering. The world population reached 6.8 billion in mid-2009, more than two and half times in 1950. The population is expected to grow by a staggering 2 billion in the next 25 years. By 2030 there will be a need for 40 percent more housing, and fundamental infrastructure, across most countries.

 

If that is not a big enough challenge, Climate change also urgently needs to be proactively addressed.

 

Michael Stitt, a freelance urban planner/urban designer/landscape designer, focuses his work on the imperative need to apply renewable energy conservation and sustainable urban design principles, to urban and landscape projects, primarily within arid and semi-arid environments of the Arabic Gulf region, and Australia.

For almost a decade now, Michael has been actively involved in the design and/or facilitation of some of the largest masterplan projects in the Arabic Gulf region, working formerly with Atkins (UK, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, & UAE), as well as Halcrow International (Dubai & Abu Dhabi), and KEO International (Abu Dhabi).

 

Michael undertook major roles including the Durrat Al Bahrain resort project

(2005), the Kingdom of Bahrain; as a Civil’s Design Coordinator: Qatar Foundation’s Education City (2006), [a Joint Venture on Infrastructural design between Atkins and Hyder Consulting]; along with involvement in a myriad of other major projects in the region.

 

Read more about Michael's role as the first full-time urban planner in the Manama office in Bahrain, working on the Durrat Al Bahrain project.

 

 

Click a GoogleEarth image below.

 

 

Skills & Exp: landscape design, sustainable urban design, architectural design, resort design, mixed-use development; industrial; transport (road, pedestrian & cycleway design), strategic planning development; sustainable neighbourhood facilitator, architectural concept design; detailed development guidelines, business development, bid preparation, environmental law & management, planning law, demographic analysis, gap analysis incl. subdivision audits & guideline development.

Michael is currently undertaking a Masters of Landscape Architecture at Deakin University.   He is a student Level 1 member (Membership # ST0439) of the Australian Institute of Landscape Architecture.

Sustainable arid and semi-arid environments of the Middle East and Australia are Michael's current and future speciality.

 

Michael is a great admirer of the South African-American inventor and entrepreneur, Elon Musk.