Michael Southworth

Biography

Michael Southworth is Professor Emeritus in both the Department of City and Regional Planning and the Department of Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning. Many of his research projects and publications have focused on the evolving form of the American metropolis; particularly the urban edge. His recent book Streets and the Shaping of Towns and Cities (with Eran Ben-Joseph), as well as several journal articles, examine the role of street design standards and development patterns in creating successful neighborhoods and communities. His work has included design of information systems to enhance the education and communication functions of cities, especially for children’s needs; reuse and preservation plans for older cities, neighborhoods and buildings; design of urban open space; and research on large scale urban design theory and methods. He created the award-winning conceptual plans for the Lowell Urban National Park and the Boott Mill Cultural Center Community in Lowell, Massachusetts. He was editor and contributor to City Sense and City Design (with Tridib Banerjee) and Wasting Away (by Kevin Lynch). His other books include The AIA Guide to Boston; Maps: A Visual Survey and Design Guide, and Ornamental Ironwork: An Illustrated Guide to Its History, Design, and Use in American Architecture (with Susan Southworth). He is North American Editor for The Journal of Urban Design. Trained and professionally registered in both city planning and architecture, he received the Doctor of Philosophy and Master of City Planning degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and the Bachelor of Architecture and Bachelor of Arts from the University of Minnesota. His awards include the Rockefeller Foundation Bellagio Fellowship, Graham Foundation Fellowship, and the National Endowment for the Arts USA Fellowship. He is a Fellow in the American Institute of Architects and a Charter Member of the American Institute of Certified Planners. He has been a partner in Michael & Susan Southworth/City Design & Architecture since 1971.

Research Interest

Morphology of the post-industrial city; design of public space; analysis, design, and management of large scale urban environmental quality; representation and communication of spatial form; educative potentials of urban form; preservation and reuse; theories of urban form.