About UrbanWorkbench™
UrbanWorkbench™ represents the intersection between Urban Planning, Design and Civil Engineering. True to its name, the site is intended to act as a workbench, an area where ideas are fleshed out, concepts are discussed and debated, and new technologies are reported on and reviewed.
Mike and Robyn are both Civil Engineers with experience in urban design and municipal infrastructure. Mike is the Engineer for the City of Rossland, and Robyn works as a consultant design engineer and project manager in the Urban Land and Municipal Design sectors. We have an interest in sustainable engineering design within urban areas, having worked on the design of large scale residential housing, road corridor and industrial sites where sustainability has been a driving design criteria. Other experience includes road and subdivision design, golf course subdivision, on-site sewer and stormwater treatment, waste transfer station design, sewer pressure main (rising main) design, and solutions for sustainable total water cycle management strategies.
Mike and Robyn contributed to the Australian Federal Government’s House of Representatives Standing Committee for the Environment, providing a paper on the role of green roof technology in the goal of developing sustainable cities in Australia.
Mike has also contributed articles at the following websites:
Currently Mike and Robyn are living in Castlegar, BC, Canada, in the beautiful West Kootenays region where they are involved in sustainable community initiatives such as the Creston Grain Community Supported Agriculture Project, the Castlegar Integrated Sustainability Planning Process, TransitionCastlegar – the beginnings of a Transition Town movement for Castlegar, and advocating for Urban Agriculture including chickens and goats among other things.
UrbanWorkbench™ is a community driven venture where comments and ideas are discussed freely. Of particular interest to the authors is the use of technology and design to gain sustainable outcomes.
If you have anything you would like to contribute, please feel free to reach us by using the contact form below or leaving a comment on the site.
Mike Thomas