Dr. Michael Tietz

Biography

Michael B. Tietz was a Professor Emeritus of City & Regional Planning at the University of California, Berkeley, where he had a long and impactful career. An influential academic, he served as department chair and played a crucial role in revitalizing the Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning, where he was president from 1981 to 1983. Tietz’s contributions to the field of planning included notable publication works on location theory and social equity, which advanced the discipline towards more rational, inclusive methodologies. He was dedicated to education, advising over 90 doctoral candidates and teaching numerous courses that shaped future planners. Tietz was born in East London and had his early years profoundly affected by World War II. He received his education from the London School of Economics and went on to earn a master's degree at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a PhD in Regional Science from the University of Pennsylvania, joining UC Berkeley in 1963. Over his career, he was recognized with the Berkeley Citation. Beyond academia, Tietz co-founded Berkeley Planning Associates and contributed to the establishment of the Public Policy Institute of California, focusing on important issues such as demography and social policy. His legacy is defined by his commitment to community and a non-ideological analytical approach to urban planning.

Research Interests