Michael Lander is a real estate developer and broker, urban planner, speaker, new urbanism advocate, and expert on Smart Growth and transportation policy.  

As founder and president of Lander Group, a Minneapolis-based real estate development firm specializing in urban infill projects, he leads the planning, design, and development of commercial, residential, and mixed-use developments across the Midwest and California. Lander Group, alone and in partnerships with other firms, has designed, developed and sold over 1000 units and $200 million dollars of infill residential/mixed-use projects, both new construction and substantial renovations or adaptive reuse.  

Lander’s work is known for creating thriving urban spaces incorporating new urbanist principles, high-quality design and construction, and a commitment to the public realm. Lander Group was awarded the prestigious Multi-Family Developer of the Year Award from the National Association of Homebuilders (NAHB) and has received multiple Awards from BUILDER Magazine Builder’s Choice, Professional Builder Magazine Best in American Living, Minneapolis Historic Preservation Commission, Saint Paul Heritage Preservation Commission, and the Committee on Urban Environment. Lander’s work has also garnered recognition from the American Institute of Architects (AIA). 

For Lander Group and as partner in urban planning firm Town Planning Collaborative, Lander has held lead planning roles for many major new urban developments over the last two decades. In the Twin Cities, he helped create the award-winning plan for Excelsior & Grand, St. Louis Park’s new town center, the Sears redevelopment, and led an acclaimed design charrette for Minneapolis’ Uptown district. 

Lander’s commitment to high-quality urban development include active roles as a member of Urban Land Institute (ULI), Congress of the New Urbanism (CNU), the Minnesota chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA), and the Steering Committee of LOCUS, a national Smart Growth real estate group working to reform federal and state transportation policy. He has served on the jury and Advisory Services panels for ULI, and on jury panels for Minneapolis AIA and CNU. He speaks regularly to local, state, and national industry groups and is a guest lecturer to University of Minnesota, St. Thomas University, Macalester College, University of Miami, and Harvard University.   

Lander has over 40 years of experience in real estate development since his studies at Arizona State University and the University of the Pacific in Stockton, California. He loves to explore urban landscapes by bike and on foot and is an avid traveler. Lander has two daughters and recently welcomed his first granddaughter. A native of Grand Forks, North Dakota, he now divides his time between San Francisco, Minneapolis, and London.