SmithGroup Elevates Michael Johnson to Director of Cities
SmithGroup is pleased to announce that Michael Johnson has been named Director of the firm’s Cities market.
“Michael has been a driving force for integrated design at the intersection of many of SmithGroup’s markets,” said Troy Thompson, managing partner at SmithGroup. “He is highly adept at guiding multidisciplinary teams of planners, landscape architects, engineers and architects and developing impactful solutions for the unprecedented challenges our cities are facing.”
Over his 20-year career, Michael’s collaborative leadership and dedication to his clients have shaped transformational projects in major American cities. He has led innovative plans for municipalities, top urban research universities and Fortune 500 companies, as well as international mixed-use development efforts. His portfolio includes notable projects such as the Las Vegas 2050 Plan and the Ann Arbor Downtown Affordable Housing Strategy.
Michael joined SmithGroup in 2008, becoming co-leader of the Urban Design market in 2016 and leader of the firm’s first regional Urban Design studio in 2022. He was promoted to vice president in 2022 and has served on SmithGroup’s board of directors since 2024.
His leadership also extends to top industry professional organizations. In addition to serving eight years on the board of the Landscape Architecture Foundation, he currently chairs the ULI Michigan Sustainability and Technology Product Council and sits on a national ULI Council.
Michael was honored with the Ball State University College of Architecture and Planning Outstanding Alumni Award in 2020 and was named to Building Design + Construction’s 40 Under 40 list in 2018. He's a guest lecturer at the University of Michigan’s urban design program, where he received his master’s degree in 2008.
Building on SmithGroup’s legacy of award-winning urban planning and design, Michael will be working with our growing Cities team to build long-term partnerships with clients and communities and to help design a better future for our cities.
SmithGroup (www.smithgroup.com) is one of the world’s preeminent integrated design firms. Working across a network of 20 offices in the U.S., a team of 1,600 experts is committed to excellence in strategy, design, and delivery. The scale of the firm’s thinking and organization produces partnerships with forward-looking clients that maximize opportunities, minimize risk and solve their most complex problems. SmithGroup creates exceptional design solutions for healthcare, science and technology organizations, higher education and cultural institutions, urban environments, diverse workplaces, mixed-use and waterfront developments, and parks and open spaces.