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Design Hub

We connect people and elevate communities.

Our Discovery by Design process is led by a collaborative, multi-disciplinary team of planners, designers, and engineers that apply out-of-the-box, creative placemaking approaches to solve problems with our clients, not for them. Our interactive and iterative approach can help you get results faster and with greater consensus.

We believe in the well-being of people and places.

Based out of Michael Baker’s corporate headquarters in Pittsburgh with staff also in Milwaukee, Chicago, and Albuquerque, Design Hub convenes nationally recognized design experts the fields of placemaking, planning, architecture, mobility, and innovative public co-creation.

Our design-first techniques are supported by graphic-based tools, intended to deliver innovative solutions for municipalities, transportation agencies, private developers, and communities.

WHAT WE DO | Philosophy + Approach

Design Hub is built on three pillars of place-based expertise:

Community Planning

Whether it’s crafting a new Zoning Ordinance that is easy to read, implement, and enforce, or updating a Comprehensive Plan that offers a clear vision for the future with actionable goals and objectives, Design Hub leverages this knowledge, along with our own creative flair, to bring the communities that we work for fresh ideas that help them solve their everyday problems. Our approach is rooted in collaboration and innovation, and we strive to create plans and projects that are not only functional but also inspiring and forward-thinking.

Urban Design

We love co-creating vibrant, functional, and sustainable public spaces that enhance the quality of life within communities. By integrating architecture, landscape design, mobility planning, and environmental resilience, we create cohesive urban environments that encourage economic vitality and memorable experiences. From conceptual planning to detailed implementation, our urban design services address the scale and experience of places—balancing aesthetics with practicality to ensure they are both inspiring and adaptable to future needs. Through our unique collaborative processes, we foster meaningful connections between people and places.

Urban Mobility

Our urban mobility team focuses on developing safe, efficient, sustainable, and accessible transportation systems that enhance connectivity within urban environments. By integrating various modes of mobility—including walking, cycling, transit, and emerging technologies—these services aim to improve safe access for all road users, especially vulnerable ones. Better, more inclusive planning can even make moving around towns and cities more enjoyable! Through data-driven analysis, community engagement, and innovative design solutions, our urban mobility services ensure that cities evolve to meet the dynamic needs of their populations while promoting seamless, lower stress movement.

Each of our services are interconnected and contribute to making beautiful places through physical design, planning, coding and policies, programs, and implementation of both best practice standards and innovative solutions that build healthier, resilient, and sustainable communities.

Our collaborative design-oriented approach inverts traditional work processes by focusing heavily on interactive design activities and visuals that invite stakeholders into the work as true co-creators.

Design Hub focuses on the experience of a place for the person in it: the goal is to create places, streets, and neighborhoods that are successful, memorable, and beloved.