Michael O'Neill Email & Phone Number

Copenhagen, Capital Region, Denmark

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Reporting to the Director, I am responsible for issues management, City Council report coordination, infrastructure grant applications, and special projects. This work includes:-Managing the flow of reports to City Council, reviewing for quality and ensuring timely submission with necessary approvals. -Writing reports, including analysis and recommendations, for City Council.-Coordinating the development and management of applications for millions in grant funding – work identified as "corporate best practice" by the City Manager's Office. -Supporting internal and external communications initiatives, including by writing speaking notes for senior management and responding to media requests. -Creating briefing notes and presentations for senior management and elected officials.-Representing the division as a subject-matter-expert on interdivisional project tables.-Developing engagement and learning opportunities for staff, including town halls and a year-long Indigenous Learning Series covering a wide range of topics.

During my second rotation as an Urban Fellow I led the development of a framework to prioritize investment in new and upgraded sports fields in Toronto over the next 20 years. Highlights of the work included:- quantitative analysis of permitting data;- development of criteria taking into account equity, environmental, financial, and other factors;- spatial analysis of potential locations;- targeted stakeholder engagement with sports field user groups;- internal consultation with operations and maintenance staff;- project coordination tasks, including scoping and ensuring adherence to timelines.I also led the development of the City's first-ever standalone area Parks Plan which will guide improvements to to the parks system in a central Toronto neighbourhood for years to come. Other pieces of work included:- Developing key messages for senior management on the increased value of and pressures on Toronto's parks during the COVID-19 Pandemic- Researching how PFR could pivot its programming (typically in-person) to other modes of delivery during the pandemic- Evaluating potential opportunities for partnerships with high-profile Toronto firms to deliver facility improvements- Providing research and engagement support in the development of Toronto's Curling and Cricket Strategies

The Toronto Urban Fellows program has established a strong reputation as an innovative, ground-breaking initiative that has welcomed more than 90 highly skilled and talented professionals to the Toronto Public Service. Urban Fellows make important contributions to the City of Toronto’s policy and research agenda, provide fresh perspectives on complex issues, and undertake essential program development and evaluation activities. While in Corporate Finance I developed guidelines for evaluating, approving, and administering millions of dollars of credits against municipal development charges (fees the City collects to help fund the capital costs of infrastructure required to service growth). This process involved:- combining existing practices that were working with best practice from elsewhere;- organizing and participating in round tables with industry associations;- working with staff from other divisions (who would ultimately be applying these guidelines); and- presenting the final guidelines to senior management at the City. In this role I also reviewed complex legal agreements between the City and developers to ensure the correct fees were being collected for mixed-use developments

Toronto, Canada Area

While at HDR I advised clients on a wide range of initiatives including new subway and LRT projects, active transportation plans, transportation master plans, micro-mobility plans, complete streets policies, etc. This work included: -Coordinating multidisciplinary teams of subconsultants, managing schedules, and collaborating with stakeholders for complex public infrastructure projects;-Collecting and analyzing demographic, socio-economic, legal, cultural, physical, and travel data to effectively inform policy formulation and infrastructure investment decisions;-Writing and editing internal and public facing documents, pulling together information from multiple technical teams; -Successfully completing the Transit Project Environmental Assessment Process for major infrastructure projects;-Preparing legible and attractive maps, diagrams and other materials using Adobe InDesign and Illustrator; -Preparing and delivering presentations to internal and external clients;-Developing Design Quality Management Plans to ensure quality products for clients-Developing and delivering communication and consultation plans for public sector clients, including open houses and surveys;-Participating in a conference panel on resilient transportation infrastructure at an international conference.

Montreal, Canada Area

In this role I analyzed the distribution and function of space in the SSMU University Centre. The overall goal was to provide a detailed picture of the space usage to allow SSMU to develop a long-term vision for the University Centre building. Activities included:- data collection from floorplans and spreadsheets; - data analysis using Excel; - presentation of findings to SSMU Council.

Edmonton, Canada Area

In this role I reviewed and processed development permits; presented at Appeal Board hearings relating to my permit decisions; and contributed to internal process improvements. This work involved:- Reviewing architectural drawings;- Inside-out knowledge of the relevant sections of the Zoning Bylaw and Policy; - Frequent communication with the applicants, affected residents, and internal stakeholders

Edmonton, Canada Area

Research Assistant to Sandeep Agrawal, director of the planning program. Reviewed planning and design guidelines from municipalities around the world and compared them with related literature for the article Tall Buildings and Lessons for Colombo, Sri Lanka (published in Urban Design International).

Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

Duties and responsibilities included acting as an ambassador and source of information for Downtown Edmonton visitors and locals, acting as a tour guide for the Core Crew’s free Guided Walking Tours program, representing the Association at special events during the summer and advocating for improvements that enhance Downtown appearance and overall safety.

Master'S Degree, Urban Planning

Recipient of a Joseph Armand Bombardier Canada Graduate Scholarship for my Supervised Research Project: Strategies to manage the impacts.

Bachelor'S Degree, Human Geography (Major), Middle Eastern And African Studies (Minor)