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Niek Veraart, AICP, ASLA, ENV SP
National Practice Lead, Planning
Planning for a Better Future
With a keen focus on people, we constantly seek to improve communities and create more sustainable, convenient, healthy and attractive places. Michael Baker’s team of planners, landscape architects and public engagement experts collaborate with clients and communities to design shared spaces that are safe, accessible and equitable for all. We create, visualize and communicate planning concepts as they move from an initial vision through implementation, aligned with a community’s unique vision, values and development strategy. Together, we plan the future of communities that are sustainable and that meaningfully connect people to their environment.
Planning Services
Design Hub
We provide urban design services for both private and public clients, specializing in projects ranging from small plazas to comprehensive master plans. The Design Hub at Michael Baker focuses on creating sustainable communities by integrating urban design, environmental responsibility, and community planning to enhance livability.
Entitlement Planning
Our professionals have extensive experience designing projects that achieve a balance between community, environmental concerns and developer needs, thereby providing creative solutions tailored to each project. We evaluate realistic development opportunities and examine potential technical, governmental and environmental constraints for individual projects. Our entitlement professionals work closely with clients to entitle residential subdivisions, master planned communities, commercial, renewable energy and industrial projects including but not limited to obtaining permits, satisfying conditions of approval, mitigation monitoring measures and other requirements.
Economics and Public Finance
Michael Baker’s economics team delivers creative, data-driven analysis and pragmatic, finance-ready strategies. We collaborate to produce market-oriented studies and custom deliverables, integrated with design, engineering, planning and finance, backed by 40+ analyses.
Landscape Architecture
The practice of landscape architecture influences the way people perceive and experience their communities. People are attracted to places that are aesthetically pleasing, unique, comfortable, accessible and safe. Our landscape architects are dedicated to shaping places through context-sensitive design solutions that are meaningful, environmentally sensitive and individual to each project. A thorough understanding of local values,history and comprehensive knowledge of the physical site constraints are essential to achieving design consensus, acceptance and, ultimately, implementation. We are mindful of community resources and respectful of the principles of sustainable design and green building.
Public Engagement
Our public engagement professionals operate within Michael Baker’s Strategic Communications and Design group, partnering with clients to engage, educate and collaborate with communities and stakeholders. Using a comprehensive mix of in‑person engagement techniques and digital tools, we support informed decision‑making through thoughtful facilitation, innovative technologies, creative events and meaningful dialogue—helping build community capacity and trust.
Housing and Community Development
Michael Baker has worked with numerous agencies to develop and implement effective housing and community development projects, programs, and plans. We help local governments secure resources for housing, jobs, community development and redevelopment, providing long-range planning tools such as needs assessments, strategic plans, goals and policies. Using our team’s experience with state, regional and local agencies across the nation, we prepare housing elements, economic plans, organizational strategies, consolidated and action plans, analyses of impediments and redevelopment implementation plans. Michael Baker writes and administers federal and state grant and loan programs, including CDBG, Neighborhood Stabilization Programs (NSP), HOME, Housing Trust Funds and Low-Income Housing Tax Credits.
Aviation Planning
Michael Baker knows the business of airports – from the smallest general aviation facilities to the busiest international airports in the world. Our planners supply a wide array of aviation planning services, including airport master planning, land use assessment and urban design. In addition, our team of specialists provide comprehensive environmental assessments and related services designed to streamline the environmental clearance process.
Grant Writing
Funding is key to getting projects off the ground – it’s also a frequent obstacle. Too often, budget cuts or shortfalls halt planning projects or capital improvements. Michael Baker’s grant writing services can help public agencies, private companies, and non-profit organizations secure the funds to keep projects moving forward.
Community Planning
We understand the enormous impacts that planning decisions can have on a community’s environment and quality of life. Our experienced planners guide community planning and land use decisions to help urban and rural communities and institutions become safer, stronger and more sustainable through comprehensive planning, policy development, recreation master planning, community visioning, resiliency planning and design guidelines.
Environmental Planning
Michael Baker’s environmental planners balance ecological considerations with community development and economic demands. Our team includes in-house expertise in botany, wetlands, wildlife science, historic resources, air quality, noise, environmental justice and more. With services ranging from project specific NEPA and CEQA studies to habitat restoration plans, we understand the importance of proactive environmental planning to ensure that urban development and major infrastructure investments proceed in a sustainable and environmentally sound way.
Hazard Mitigation and Resiliency
Michael Baker is focused on building more resilient organizations and communities capable of responding effectively in any natural or man-made emergency situation. We have helped cities, counties, regions and states across the nation prepare their hazard mitigation plans, emergency operations and evacuation and shelter plans, among other sustainability and resiliency services.
Military and Federal Planning
Michael Baker delivers a multitude of award-winning, innovative planning services nationwide, creating the highest level of value for our federal partners. Since World War II, we have been providing the full range of technical competencies to the U.S. federal government. We are recognized as highly competent, detail oriented and committed to outstanding customer service. Working under multiple, concurrent task order awards, we are called upon again and again to meet urgent deadlines all over the world to satisfy various sustainability, facility management, master planning, emergency management, design and community planning needs.
Transportation Planning
Michael Baker has a strong nationwide practice that partners with numerous state departments of transportation as well as regional and local transportation agencies. Our experience includes planning for all modes of transportation and comprehensive system analysis. Our transportation plans combine excellent outreach with innovative analytical techniques to produce high-quality, supportable and implementable plans.
Agency Staffing
Michael Baker provides extension of staff services for municipalities and agencies and exceed expectations for planning, housing, redevelopment, finance, GIS, project management and beyond. We offer a cost-effective and flexible approach, assigning appropriately experienced and personable staff to match clients’ work needs for a matter of weeks or months. Our staff typically work from a client’s office on a predetermined schedule at selected levels of coverage and always based on the client’s budget needs.
Rail and Transit Planning
With completed projects across the country, our expertise encompasses everything from station area facility plans to design of freight rail yards. Our work has included feasibility studies, ridership forecasts and supporting our client’s studies and applications under Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) programs. Our successful development of the important modes of rail and transit transportation always includes comprehensive planning, with the end goal of implementation.
Featured Projects
FEMA Community Engagement and Risk Communication Contract
Nationwide
Laguna Canyon Road (State Route 133)
Orange County, California
Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune Sustainability Services
North Carolina
