News
A tribute to Michael Edwards
11 Aug 2026It is with sadness that we hear of Michael Edwards’ passing. Michael’s long and distinguished academic career is well known and has been reported on by many others. In that role, over the years, he has helped many of our staff members become planners.
Lesser known is his time working in consultancy with us, when we were known as Nathaniel Lichfield and Associates. He worked with Nathaniel Lichfield himself, another UCL stalwart, when our consultancy started to grow off the back of our work on the New Towns.
That began with Milton Keynes, where we are still active today advising on its future expansion. Michael and Nat were responsible for advising on the spatial and economic aspects of the original masterplan, working closely with Richard Llewelyn Davies and Walter Bor. Even if planning consultancy was in its infancy back then, that was a team of Planning Consultancy Galacticos, if there ever was one!
Michael and Nat’s work on Milton Keynes shaped much more on other New Towns, before widening out to embrace a wider range of projects including the advent of shopping centres in the UK. They also pioneered the use of cost benefit and community impact analysis in planning, heralding a far more analytical approach to evaluating alternative plans and projects. All this work formed the foundation of the consultancy that Lichfields has become today.
About a year or two ago I attended an event where Michael spoke. He spoke about how the principles of the Milton Keynes masterplan emerged, armed with some pencil sketches and photographs of our old office, where all the field work was turned into a plan. He explained things very simply and his passion for the subject, after all these years, was still very clear for all to hear. He then fondly reminisced with me about his time with us. Michael has made a very important contribution to our business for which we will always be very grateful.
James Fennell, Chief Executive