What does the future of urban centers look like? In a world where climate and cost constraints are changing the way we live together, how should we best design the places where we live, work and play? University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS) alumnus Bob Gibbs, FASLA, AICP (MLA ’84), founder of Gibbs Planning Group, has some answers, and is already working to make his vision of sustainable and connected urban centers a reality for communities in Michigan, the broader U.S. and the world beyond. 

Gibbs is a landscape architect and professional planner who specializes in the design and of complex new town commercial centers and historic cities. 

In his recent Virtual Expert Master Chat that he presented to SEAS students and alumni, Gibbs spoke of his experiences developing and implementing the “New Urban Movement” from the early 1990s through today. New Urbanism promotes walkable blocks and streets, housing and shopping in close proximity, and accessible public spaces. Through his work with Gibbs Planning, which is based in Birmingham, Michigan, Gibbs has honed his expertise in the restoration and rejuvenation of urban centers and new town planning.

Gibbs’ approach to urban planning through the New Urban Movement aims to counteract sprawl by creating sustainable, compact neighborhoods and commercial centers that offer a comfortable—and overall, more economic—alternative to typical expansive urban developments. He is one of the Congress for the New Urbanism founders in 1992. 

Instead of relying on zoning regulations to curb sprawl, Gibbs fostered creating new sustainable communities or cities that economically outperform suburban development. The New Urbanists lexicon has caught hold, he said. Real estate developers, retailers and employers have returned to cities or created new towns, which has proven to be less risky and generate higher returns than conventional suburban development. 

Gibbs’ body of work, including the master plans for the new Village Town Center in Rochester Hills, Michigan, and Charleston, South Carolina, illustrates his commitment to sustainability and his fight to promote urban designs that offer an alternative to modern zoning codes that unjustly favor conventional sprawling communities over vibrant, human-scale urban spaces.

He discussed his philosophies and work challenging the structural legal biases that encourage urban sprawl and explored strategies to incentivize more sustainable development. His dedication to these doctrines, he said, was reinforced by a New Urbanism Charter signed soon after his graduation from SEAS with former classmates passionate about the ideals and potential practical impact behind New Urbanism. He has since dedicated his entire career to focusing exclusively on compact, sustainable urban projects. 

New Urbanism principles, Gibbs explained, are largely based on the town planning work and writings of early 1900s landscape architects. He highlighted the Palmer Woods neighborhood plan of Ossian C. Simonds, ASLA, as one of his models. In 1908, Simonds was the first to teach in U-M’s landscape design program, which later became the landscape architecture program, and was a founder and president of the American Society of Landscape Architects. 

Gibbs said he drew inspiration from historic urban planning philosophies, notably the “five-minute neighborhood” concept, which he is currently applying to planned new cities in Texas, Georgia and Florida. He also is engaged with the concept of the Jeffersonian block system, which underpins his new resort design on Lake Charlevoix and stresses the practicality and appeal of organic, walkable communities.

Gibbs explained how his projects integrate local resident input and market research, synthesizing data on population density, transportation use, restaurant viability and more to ensure that these new commercial centers outperform traditional suburbs in both profitability and appeal. A main goal of his work, he noted, is not to change the way America lives, but to give Americans a new, alternative way to live that is just as economically viable while more sustainable and comfortable. 

Unfortunately, the New Urbanists aspiration for creating affordable communities hasn’t been achieved yet, Gibbs noted. While 40% of households prefer living in walkable neighborhoods, only 2% of new housing is currently being developed as walkable communities. The overwhelming market demand-to-supply imbalance makes even the most modest homes unaffordable for many, he said.

Therefore, it is critical that these areas are designed with thought to ensure accessibility for mixed-income populations that reflect the diversity of their local regions and maintain senses of community and social integration, he said. 

One of the significant challenges Gibbs faces is the reluctance of Michigan developers to embrace small-scale urban designs, whereas such concepts are more readily accepted and implemented in states like Florida and South Carolina. In Michigan, Gibbs advocates for traditional American scales that promote community-focused living and sustainable design. He currently is developing Sutherland Square, a New Urban, traditional mixed-use 200-home neighborhood near Ann Arbor. 

Gibbs, who has authored books on the subject, works globally and has had successful projects in Japan and Melbourne, among other locations. He often confronts skepticism from developers who doubt the viability of New Urbanism, only to be proven correct when the approach triumphs in practice.

In his concluding remarks, Gibbs reaffirmed his commitment to developing fresh, sustainable and meaningful alternatives for urban living for a diverse audience of ages, incomes and lifestyles. With most of his work focused on rejuvenating cities, Gibbs said he remains dedicated to showing how traditional town planning and New Urbanism can revive urban centers and provide vibrant, sustainable living options for future generations.

Gibbs is a Fellow in the American Society of Landscape Architects and has lectured at Harvard for 25 years. He recently was named one of the most influential planners of the century by his peers and was honored by the Clinton Presidential Library. He has consulted on hundreds of projects globally including Australia, Central America, China, Europe, Mexico, New Zealand and all 50 states. 

In addition to his MLA from SEAS, he has a bachelor’s degree and honorary doctorate from Oakland University. 

Prior to Gibbs Planning Group, Gibbs was the planning director at Taubman Centers and an urban designer at JJR in Ann Arbor. He is an avid reader and enjoys writing, fly fishing and driving his vintage MG sports car.