Michael Mortensen brings 20+ years of development and urban planning experience to his work leading planning teams and managing all aspects of the development of transformative mixed-use projects. In 2016, he incorporated Liveable City Planning Ltd. to provide urban planning and development management services in Greater Vancouver BC.www.liveablecityplanning.com A developer and a Member of the Canadian Institute of Planners, Michael understands development from both the private and public perspective. His experience includes projects at scale in Greater Vancouver, Toronto, L.A., London UK, and the UNESCO World Heritage City of Edinburgh. Michael has served on a variety of planning and design boards including the City of Vancouver Development Permit Board Advisory Panel, and the City of Surrey Urban Design Panel. In addition to running Liveable City Planning, he is currently an Adjunct Professor with UBC’s Sauder School of Business, delivering MBA courses on Planning and Real Estate Economics. He serves on the boards of LAI.org, Small Housing BC; and the Vancouver Farmers Markets.

I'm excited to be back at UBC and SFU teaching graduate course on Development Planning and the principles of Pro Formas and Development Economics. If it does not pencil, it does not get built! Students include candidates for MBA, Urban Planning, Architecture and Landscape Architecture.

Lead teams planning the development of new communities at scale in London & Edinburgh UK, with a focus on highly livable "Build-to-Rent" residential-led mixed-use projects.

Lead teams and managed acquisition, planning, marketing and development of mixed-use projects in Greater Vancouver BC. Indicative projects include:1300 Marine Drive*​, Ambleside, West VancouverAssembly, rezoning and full-block redevelopment to transform a neglected waterfront site. Implemented an innovative Co-Design public involvement program. Created a temporary Public Art Greenway with the Vancouver Biennale. Negotiated purchase of half the block from the District of West Vancouver. Luxury apartments above ground floor retail.* http://tinyurl.com/ncs543m15West^, North Vancouver (Joint Venture)Planned and marketed an 18-storey mixed-use condominium building with 115 homes located a block from Central Lonsdale. Partnered with the Vancouver Resource Society to use a density bonus program to create 5 fully accessibility apartments for people living with quadriplegia. ^ http://tinyurl.com/ok3ghtk5955 Balsam**, Kerrisdale, VancouverMarketed and constructed a boutique 41 unit luxury building in Vancouver's Kerrisdale neighbourhood.** http://tinyurl.com/oeg527t

Managed the planning, marketing and development of complex transit-oriented mixed-use developments in Vancouver B.C. and Toronto, Ontario. Typical projects included: “Firenze” and “Espana”, two adjacent projects totaling 845,000 sf, including four residential towers (25 to 35 floors), two mid-rise buildings with retail at grade, an elementary school site, and a 49 space child care facility.

Managed the City’s internal and public review of major development projects referred to the Development Permit Board because of their size, complexity or potential impacts. As a Major Projects planner, I created a comprehensive rezoning policy* to guide the mixed-use retrofit of “Oakridge Centre”, a 28 acre shopping mall.*see: http://tinyurl.com/axa7mhh

Appointed by City Council, I advised the City’s Development Permit Board* on decisions on major applications. Reviewed plans, staff reports, applicant presentations and public input and informed the Board’s decision making on scores of major projects.* http://tinyurl.com/odl2lqm

Expertise in funding, developing and management of Affordable Housing. I managed a team overseeing the administration of federally funded Housing Operating Agreements with more than 250 non-profit and cooperative housing providers in the province of BC.