Michael Cowdy

Greater Bristol Area, United Kingdom

+91 xxxx xxxxx

[email protected]

3000 followers

Timeline
Aug 2006 - Jan 2010
Senior Urban Designer
EDAW
Jan 2010 - Jul 2011
Senior Urban Designer
Jackson Teece
Current Company
Aug 2011 - now
Director | Global Leader
McGregor Coxall
Oct 2016 - Mar 2020
Urban Design Group Committee Member
Urban Design Group
Jan 2017 - Dec 2021
Lecturer
University of the West of England
Current Company
Aug 2017 - now
Design Review Panel Member
Design West
About me
UK Founder + Director at McGregor Coxall
Education
- University of newcastle-upon-tyne
  2005 - 2006
  Maud urban design distinction
  Activities and Societies: Member of the Newcastle Surf Team and Swimming Team Urban Design Thesis was awarded the highest distinction in MAUD history;Distinction Class work was exhibited at the London 2006 Alumni Event;
- The university of sheffield
  2000 - 2003
  Ba (hons) urban studies and planning city and regional planning 2:1 ba [hons]
  Activities and Societies: Member of the University of Sheffield Cricket 1st Team and American Football Team
Experience
- Edaw
  Aug 2006 - Jan 2010
  Senior urban designer
  Joining EDAW after completing the MAUD course at Newcastle University, I progressed to Senior Urban Designer after a year of working at the company. During my time at EDAW I Project Managed a variety of master plans within the UK including Strategic Development Frameworks, Residential Master Plans and city centre Master Plans. My passion and success at EDAW led me to be selected as one of six international design leaders to manage a team of EDAW Asia design staff for a project in Harbin, China and be invited as a guest Lecturer at Newcastle University and Manchester University. Show less
- Jackson teece
  Jan 2010 - Jul 2011
  Senior urban designer
  Senior Urban Designer and Project Manager for a range of residential master plans and urban design competitions within the Sydney region. Successfully led and won three large scale urban design competitions, which involved the collaboration between urban designers, landscape architects and architects.
- Mcgregor coxall
  Aug 2011 - now
  Director | global leader
  As a Director and Urbanism Leader for McGregor Coxall, Michael’s passion rests in creating healthy, smart, sustainable, and vibrant places and cities. He has extensive experience in complex urban regeneration projects and has delivered internationally recognised design outcomes to a variety of iconic destinations. From city-wide strategies in the UK, large scale masterplanning in China through to the delivery of award winning public realm in Australia, Michael has an innate ability to strategise a project, integrate stakeholder aspirations, and build lasting bonds and partnerships between disparate organisations and communities. Michael is a panel member of the Bristol Urban Design Forum, Executive Committee member for the National Urban Design Group and founding member of the Placemaking Collective UK. He regularly presents at national and international conferences where he promotes a progressive, restorative and engaging outcome for place. Show less
- Urban design group
  Oct 2016 - Mar 2020
  Urban design group committee member
- University of the west of england
  Jan 2017 - Dec 2021
  Lecturer
  Guest lecturer for Urban Design and Architecture modules
- Design west
  Aug 2017 - now
  Design review panel member
  The forum is a group of professionals involved in the built environment and drawn from a wide range of disciplines.Currently numbering around 35, the members are selected for their recognised knowledge in architecture, urban design, sustainability, transport, planning, landscape design, engineering and the arts.Under each area of expertise, the best available in the region have been invited to join the panel. Information about the individuals involved is set out in the attached biographies.For each design review a panel is selected to provide the most appropriate and relevant skills for the project under discussion. Show less
Licenses & Certifications
- Academician
  Academy of urbanism
  May 2016
- Recognised practitioner of urban design
  Urban design group
  Oct 2010
- Fellow of the landscape institute
  Landscape institute uk
  Dec 2022
Honors & Awards
- Awarded to Michael Cowdy
  2017 AILA National Landscape Architecture Award Maitland Levee and High Street Australia Institute of Landscape Architects Jul 2017 The Levee respects the historic character of Maitland high street and embodies a new identity for its future. The use of earth-toned porphyry paving and a sophisticated lighting strategy complements the turn of the century heritage buildings. This project demonstrates the value of investing in high quality civic spaces, with an impressive impact on vacancy rates in the town centre. The design supports a flexible program that is an attractor for locals and visitors, supporting the economic… Show more The Levee respects the historic character of Maitland high street and embodies a new identity for its future. The use of earth-toned porphyry paving and a sophisticated lighting strategy complements the turn of the century heritage buildings. This project demonstrates the value of investing in high quality civic spaces, with an impressive impact on vacancy rates in the town centre. The design supports a flexible program that is an attractor for locals and visitors, supporting the economic revitalisation of the region. The construction of the River Link building and river walk will complete the project vision, engaging the new heart of town with its unique river setting. Show less
- Awarded to Michael Cowdy
  2016 AILA National Urban Design Award of Excellence for Parramatta City River Strategy Australia Institute of Landscape Architecture Oct 2016 Great landscape architecture often involves embracing elements of the natural environment to stimulate design thinking. When this is applied in an urban design situation, opportunities arise to change the focus of a city. The Parramatta City River Strategy is such a project. It sets out to rediscover the natural aesthetic of the river and, consequentially, to recalibrate the economy of Sydney’s second CBD. It’s a bold project that seeks to draw from the community, to inform decision makers and… Show more Great landscape architecture often involves embracing elements of the natural environment to stimulate design thinking. When this is applied in an urban design situation, opportunities arise to change the focus of a city. The Parramatta City River Strategy is such a project. It sets out to rediscover the natural aesthetic of the river and, consequentially, to recalibrate the economy of Sydney’s second CBD. It’s a bold project that seeks to draw from the community, to inform decision makers and leaders and to provide a vision for Parramatta. It pulls together transport frameworks, recreational corridors and multi-use architectural spaces, balancing infrastructure with aesthetic outcomes. At the same time, Aboriginal and colonial heritage are recognised and provided for through a collaborative delivery and implementation plan. As summed up by the lord mayor, it is “a plan for a world-class river foreshore that recognises the importance of the river to the city, improving the city’s connections while protecting and activating the river for people to enjoy.” Show less
- Awarded to Michael Cowdy
  2016 RH Dougherty Excellence in Communication Award for Byron Bay Town Centre Masterplan Local Government New South Wales Aug 2016 An outstanding campaign that created a sense of community ownership beyond the duration of the project. The approach - of varying the range of activities from quarter to quarter - in order to engage fresh stakeholders during the 18-month project life was inventive. Council also demonstrated clever ways to engage with the hard to reach. A stand out feature of the project was the formation of the community ‘Bounce Group’. This approach was strategic and a great way to disseminate information… Show more An outstanding campaign that created a sense of community ownership beyond the duration of the project. The approach - of varying the range of activities from quarter to quarter - in order to engage fresh stakeholders during the 18-month project life was inventive. Council also demonstrated clever ways to engage with the hard to reach. A stand out feature of the project was the formation of the community ‘Bounce Group’. This approach was strategic and a great way to disseminate information, evaluate campaign progress and strengthen community ownership of the project. The fun and hands-on elements of the campaign were an excellent way to generate awareness and assist people to visualise challenging planning concepts. Show less
- Awarded to Michael Cowdy
  2016 AILA NSW Communities Award of Excellence for Byron Bay Town Centre Australia Institute of Architects [AILA] Jul 2016 The Byron Bay Town Centre Masterplan sets a new benchmark for delivering an engaging place-based approach to revitalisation of regional town centres. The jury noted the intensive and rigorous community engagement process which was conducted over 16 months and included over ten (10) events and an interactive website. Locals have forever resisted change in Byron, and the master plan team tackled this head on and made ‘change’ the centrepiece of the conversation, turning this into a positive… Show more The Byron Bay Town Centre Masterplan sets a new benchmark for delivering an engaging place-based approach to revitalisation of regional town centres. The jury noted the intensive and rigorous community engagement process which was conducted over 16 months and included over ten (10) events and an interactive website. Locals have forever resisted change in Byron, and the master plan team tackled this head on and made ‘change’ the centrepiece of the conversation, turning this into a positive discussion around ‘place vitality’. The graphic style of the report has been skillfully tuned to engage the target audience and communicate place principles, activation strategies and short and long term master plan solutions for twelve (12) precincts within the township. Show less
- Awarded to Michael Cowdy
  2016 NSW AILA NSW Urban Design Award of Excellence for Springwood Town Centre Australia Institute of Architects [AILA] Jul 2016 The Springwood Town Centre Master Plan exemplifies innovative and achievable town centre revitalisation at a very local scale. Leading a multi-disciplinary project team, the landscape architects have developed a suite of very workable strategies to incrementally transform the ‘retail strip’ of Springwood’s town centre into a unique township that engages both its cultural context as well as its spectacular Blue Mountains setting. The process has been informed by comprehensive analysis of generic… Show more The Springwood Town Centre Master Plan exemplifies innovative and achievable town centre revitalisation at a very local scale. Leading a multi-disciplinary project team, the landscape architects have developed a suite of very workable strategies to incrementally transform the ‘retail strip’ of Springwood’s town centre into a unique township that engages both its cultural context as well as its spectacular Blue Mountains setting. The process has been informed by comprehensive analysis of generic urban conditions and opportunities – land ownership, movement patterns, urban form and so on. The final strategies however, reflect a high degree of local knowledge, gleaned through consultation with the client and the community, as well as the superior appreciation of place that landscape architects bring to a project. Combining a clear policy framework with a practical plan for interim and pilot projects, this is a robust master plan with the flexibility to guide the future development of Springwood into a balanced and memorable town centre. Show less
- Awarded to Michael Cowdy
  2015 AILA NSW Medal for Landscape Architecture for Parramatta City River Strategy Australia Institute of Australia [AILA] Sep 2015 Jury comments: McGregor Coxall has created a bold vision for revitalizing the city foreshore of the Parramatta River. The City River Plan is a strategy to reactivate and connect the Parramatta River Corridor with the rapidly evolving Parramatta City Centre. The jury were impressed by the scope of the plan which not only reactivates the Parramatta River corridor, it also cleverly connects it to the City Centre through a sequence of open spaces, access ways and structured ‘quarters’. The… Show more Jury comments: McGregor Coxall has created a bold vision for revitalizing the city foreshore of the Parramatta River. The City River Plan is a strategy to reactivate and connect the Parramatta River Corridor with the rapidly evolving Parramatta City Centre. The jury were impressed by the scope of the plan which not only reactivates the Parramatta River corridor, it also cleverly connects it to the City Centre through a sequence of open spaces, access ways and structured ‘quarters’. The multi-disciplinary approach taken by McGregor Coxall is thorough and innovative, and takes environmental issues like flooding, water quality and urban heat island and integrates them into a logical and high quality public realm. This plan not only delivers a compelling vision for the future of Parramatta, it also promotes the profession of Landscape Architecture as leading the debate on resilient cities.McGregor Coxall’s City River Plan delivers an urban design process executed at the highest level through the clever use of supporting technical streams in the creation of a future urban precinct which responds to climate uncertainty and rising expectations of our cities to transform into diverse vertical communities. Show less