Michael Taylor is chairman of the Redevelopment Institute. Recognized in 2019 with a “lifetime achievement award in thought leadership in brownfields”, Michael is a leading strategist in implementing redevelopments at brownfields and superfund sites. Mr. Taylor regularly serves as project manager, facilitator and key strategist working with stakeholders to sustainably redevelop projects across the country. His practice includes consulting to industry, the federal government, cities, and communities on numerous Superfund, brownfield and RCRA sites. Mr. Taylor works in many of the toughest areas of the country, including small rural areas, as well as inner city environmental justice neighborhoods and on some of the most contaminated sites in the country. He has special expertise in bringing diverse parties to consensus to facilitate redevelopment.
Mr. Taylor has been a pioneer in implementing sustainable solutions at sites and in neighborhoods and regions. His work combines an in-depth analysis of the ecological setting, best practices in sustainable urban design and market analysis. He has pioneered industry standards and scoring systems for promoting sustainability, including the ASTM Standard for Sustainable Brownfields Redevelopment, LEED® for Neighborhood Development and the LAND Code.
Mr. Taylor has developed numerous training courses and workshop curriculum to support the redevelopment of brownfields and Superfund sites. He has trained over 2,000 state and federal regulatory staff in redevelopment of contaminated properties from around the country on behalf of the EPA and conducted brownfields pilots on behalf of the Department of Housing and Urban Development. He is currently working with the EPA and major companies from around the country to find ways to promote redevelopment on PRP-led Superfund sites.
Mr. Taylor chaired the ASTM task group for the National Standard on Sustainable Brownfields Redevelopment and is personally involved in implementing this groundbreaking process at Superfund and brownfields sites across the country. Mr. Taylor has also contributed to environmental policy in implementing new approaches to corrective action nationally and at the state level.
Mr. Taylor recently served as an industry representative to the Waste and Facility Siting Subcommittee of the EPA’s National Environmental Justice Advisory Council. As chairman of the Brownfields Work Group and co-chair of the Superfund Redevelopment Initiative Work Group under NEJAC, Mr. Taylor provided guidance to the EPA on issues related to brownfields, Superfund, environmental justice, and the sustainable redevelopment of impacted sites.