User:Edgarpavan

WP:Michael Karowich

Michael Karowich (born 1955) is a Canadian architect and urban Designer. Living in Toronto and currently employed with the City of Mississauga, Karowich has 15 years experience as an Urban Designer and Planner internationally and around the Greater Toronto Area. Karowich recieved a Bachelor of Architectural Science degree from the Ryerson Polytechnical University in Toronto in 1981 before going abroad to study with Jan Gehl at the Royal Danish Academeuy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen. He graduated with a Masters of Architecture in 1985.

Since graduating, his professional life has included being the lead designer on many international projects including the Dubai Marina Master Plan in the United Arab Emirates, the Churchill Meadows Community Concept Plan in Canada, and the Nanjing New Downtown District Master Plan. Project types in his body of work contain a variety of commissions involving the planning approval process, site plan reviews, rezoning and commercial office building planning. He has also been involved with other major urban development projects such as the Bradhurst Redevelopment Plan in New York City, the Railway Lands Development Plan with the City of Toronto, and the Shanghai University Nano-Technology Campus Master Plan in China.

Michael has had a life long passion for travel and promoting sustainable urbanity. With a never ending curiosity to understand humans and their habitat, Michael despite a demanding professional life has always found the time to explore the world. Since 1982, he has spent approximately 8 years away from his Canadian homeland visiting, studying, working or living abroad in over 70 countries in that time span. While traveling he enjoyed keeping an illustrative journal consisting of sketches, notes and other odds and ends. He traveled in great length throughout East Europe in search for his grandfather’s village which he eventually found.

Karowich took a sabbatical to tackle his long time desire to prepare a book showcasing the sketches and write short stories on the wonderful travel experiences along the way. In 2009, Mutt on a Mission - In Search of My Grandfather’s Village was published.

Mutt on Mission, provides a detailed travelogue with accompanying sketches of Karowich's travels in Eastern Europe.

Selected Publications

 * Public Art Policy, Mississauga, Ontario
 * Urban Design Strategy, Mississauga, Ontario
 * Green Development Strategy, Mississauga, Ontario
 * Low Rise Residential Multiple Dwellings