Georgia Tech College of ArchitecturePlanning

                             People

Technology SquareMike Dobbins

Associate Professor Mike Dobbins

Master of Architecture, Yale University, 1965.
B.A., Yale University, 1960.


CONTACT MR. DOBBINS

Office: 204 Old Architecture
Phone: 404.385.4243
Fax: 404.894.1628
E-mail

Web site

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 Progra (program director), 1991