McKenna, a community planning, design, and building services firm based in Northville, has announced the addition of Paul Urbiel as senior principal planner.
In his new role, Urbiel will be responsible for ongoing planning and zoning services to the cities of Fraser, Grosse Pointe Farms, and Harper Woods. With his prior experience in equitable and sustainable urban development and design, as well as neighborhood and land use planning, Urbiel will also help lead future community-wide and neighborhood-based master planning projects. He will join McKenna’s Detroit office.
“I am thrilled to announce Paul’s hiring and know that his expertise in urban design, commitment to resident-led change, and passion for process excellence will serve our clients well,” says John Jackson, president of McKenna. “We can’t wait to embed Paul within our planning and design project teams, which will certainly benefit from his global experience.”
After beginning his career as a project planner with the Downtown Detroit Partnership, Urbiel spent 14 years as an urban planner with the Detroit office of Gensler, a global architecture, design, and planning firm.
Urbiel earned a bachelor’s degree in architecture and a master’s degree in urban planning from the University of Michigan Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning. He is also a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners.
“I am excited to join a team whose values I share and that leads meaningful, positive change in our communities daily,” says Urbiel. “I’m eager to engage our clients and build on the firm’s significant legacy of community building.”
McKenna has additional offices in Detroit, Grand Rapids, and Kalamazoo. The firm’s Detroit office first opened in 2018 and manages Detroit and eastside projects.
