Who We Are
Hansen Planning Group is a Utah-based planning and consulting firm. We advise local governments on legislative and administrative decisions by providing civic planning, research, ordinance drafting, and other professional services.
Our team is headed by Mike Hansen, AICP, who has over two decades of experience and has completed nearly 200 planning and ordinance projects in the last decade.
Mike Hansen
Qualifications:
- American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP)
- Master’s of Political Economy, GWC
- Master’s of Public Administration, University of Utah
- B.S. Urban Planning, University of Utah
Mike has worked in strategy, land use, and organizational development for 20+ years. His career has been marked by successful leadership amidst progressively difficult challenges. Working in all levels of government, he has worn the hats of a strategic planner, demographer, administrator, and change leader. He has led small entrepreneurial teams, statewide initiatives, and even served in the Utah Governor’s Cabinet.
Among his many achievements, Mike’s optimization efforts led to Utah being recognized as the “Best Managed State.” In the private sector, Mike has orchestrated projects with citizen groups, special service districts, city staff, and engineers. Focusing on short-term implementation strategies and the long-term return on investment, Mike has drafted roadmaps for cities, counties, and the state with results seen in land use, industry investment, economic development, and state code compliance.
Jacob Hansen
Qualifications:
- Juris Doctorate, BYU Law School
- B.S. Economics, BYU
Jacob graduated with honors from the J. Reuben Clark Law School at BYU. During law school, Jacob worked for Judge Carolyn B. McHugh on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit, for Chief Justice Durant on the Utah Supreme Court, and at Sidley Austin, one of the world’s top law firms. He was also an editor of the BYU Law Review and winner of the school’s appellate brief writing competition.
Jacob uses his legal background to draft local laws that are clear, effective, and compliant with state and federal law. He has personally architected major updates to the subdivision codes or land use codes of 84 municipalities and has developed proprietary tools for city code compliance review. Jacob also enjoys researching, writing, and teaching about land use and economic issues.
Henry Wolthuis
Qualifications:
B.A. National Security Studies, Utah Valley University
Henry is a public policy and government professional with experience in state government, municipal ordinance writing, and legislative research. He has served in the offices of both Utah Governor Spencer J. Cox and Idaho Governor Brad Little, where he tracked legislation, drafted policy proposals, and managed constituent correspondence.
Henry has authored subdivision ordinances for over a dozen Utah cities and towns. He graduated Summa Cum Laude from Utah Valley University, where he was also the Editor-In-Chief of the UVU Security Review. His interests include state and local governance, political strategy, and legislative drafting. He is passionate about helping policymakers find the right solutions for the communities they serve.
Isaac Hansen
Qualifications:
- B.S. Environmental Science and Ecological Restoration, Humboldt State University
Isaac has nearly 10 years of experience in environmental resource planning and conservation. He has worked with both local governments and private parties to draft ordinances, conduct feasibility studies, optimize property taxes, and make actionable plans.
Isaac has also coordinated land annexations and acquisitions, including a +20,000-acre carbon offset project in the Olympic Rainforest. His special skills include GIS mapping and engaging diverse stakeholders. Isaac loves the outdoors and is always ready to provide a literal boots-on-the-ground perspective.
Projects
We’ve planned our way around the block. Here are just a few of the nearly 200 projects our team has worked on.