Michael Martin

I'm a Lecturer in Urban Design and Planning at the University of Sheffield. I previously worked in the Department of Architecture, Design and Media Technology at Aalborg University as an Assistant Professor in Urban Design (2017-2021) and prior to that in urban design/planning consultancy in the UK.

My research and teaching are concerned with a variety of phenomena associated with the design, planning and development of cities including, urban crises, austerity urbanism, vacant/previously developed land, urban regeneration and temporary use, child-friendly cities, children’s place use and urban design/placeshaping processes.

I have undertaken research funded by charities, public bodies and local government in the UK and Denmark including the ESRC, Capital of Children/LEGO Foundation and the Henrik Frode Obel Foundation and published my results in leading international journals including Urban Studies, Planning Practice and Research, Town Planning Review and Emotion, Space and Society. Having practiced professionally as an urban designer and planner from 2012-15, I am acutely aware of the value of positioning my research and teaching in the context of contemporary policy debates and real-world challenges that demand cutting-edge approaches to the design, planning and development of cities.

I am Associate Editor of the interdisciplinary journal Urban Design and Planning (ICE) and an international member of the Urban Design – Transformation and Mobilities Research Group at Aalborg University.