American architect, critic and educator Michael Sorkin has died as a result of complications associated with COVID-19, it has been announced.

Sorkin founded his Michael Sorkin Studio design practice in 1980, growing the firm from its base in New York to open additional offices in the Chinese cities of Shanghai and Xi’an, with projects delivered around the world.

The studio's specialities in cities and green architecture stem in part from Sorkin's own interests in urbanism and its projects have included masterplanning towns, redeveloping areas, creating parks and developing a variety of cultural centres.

Sorkin also founded the urban research studio and advocacy group Terreform, the stated aim of which is "to investigate the forms, policies, technologies, and practices that will yield equitable, sustainable, and beautiful cities for our urbanising planet."

Elsewhere he was a distinguished professor of architecture and director of the graduate programme in urban design at City College of New York, was the architecture critic for The Nation, a contributing editor at Architectural Record and an author or editor of over twenty books.

Sorkin was the recipient of a number of awards during his career, including 'Design Mind' from the National Design Award in 2013 and Fellow in the field of architecture planning and design from the John Simon Guggenheim Foundation in 2015.

Announcing his passing, Terraform wrote: "Renowned for his acerbic wit and generosity of spirit, Michael will be deeply missed by his family here in New York and around the world."