Reconnecting America and the Center for Transit-Oriented Development have published the first in a series of “TOD 202” guidebooks for promoting best practices in transit-oriented development (TOD). The guidebook, which is a follow-up to the “TOD 101” booklet, Why Transit-Oriented Development and Why Now?, includes discussion of seven “TOD place types,” details about the scales of development likely to occur in different places, station area planning principles, and TOD plan checklists. For more information, link to Station Area Planning: How to Make Great Transit-Oriented Places. (6-18-08)    

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The New Jersey and Pennsylvania Departments of Transportation have published a new Smart Transportation Guidebook that seeks to integrate the planning and design of streets and highways in a way that promotes the development of sustainable and livable communities. The book provides guidelines for improving the roadway system using six smart transportation principles: tailoring solutions to the context; tailoring the approach; planning all projects in collaboration with the community; planning for alternative transportation modes; using sound professional judgment; and scaling the solution to the size of the program. For more information, link to the Smart Transportation Guidebook: Planning and Designing Highways and Streets that Support Sustainable and Livable Communities. (May 2008)

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The Project for Public Places has launched a campaign intended to support placemaking and transform existing transportation planning practices that prioritize moving people and goods over creating sustainable communities. The goals of the campaign, “Building Community through Transportation,” include creating a policy, regulatory, and implementation framework at the state and federal levels that supports placemaking and to encourage grassroots transportation advocacy. The campaign will focus on a “Streets as Places” approach to transforming the design and construction of public streets through placemaking and a “Thinking Beyond the Station” approach to influencing the design and planning of transit centers for sustainability. For more information, link to Building Community through Transportation. (6-4-08)

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The Surface Transportation Policy Partnership and the Center for Neighborhood Technology will host a workshop on July 24-25, 2008, in Denver intended to help participants understand the principles of context sensitive solutions and how they can be used in the planning and design of urban transportation systems that balance the needs of all users. For more information, link to Context Sensitive Solutions: Designing Transportation Projects for People and Places Workshop. (4-8-08)

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A report synthesizing research conducted by the University of Minnesota’s Center for Transportation Studies describes best practices for integrating design into the planning and implementation of beneficial transportation projects. The report, which is part of the center’s Moving Communities Forward series, summarizes case studies of nearly 30 transportation projects, primarily transit-oriented development and context sensitive design and solutions projects. The studies focused on community enhancements through good design in four areas: economic development; public health, safety, and the environment; visual improvement; and citizen participation. For more information, link to The Role of Well-Designed Transportation Projects Enhancing Communities: A Study Synthesis. (2-25-08)

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A report describing the current practice of state departments of transportation in using multi-disciplinary teams to develop contest sensitive solutions has been released by the National Cooperative Highway Research Program under Project 20-5, “Synthesis of Information Related to Highway Problems.” The synthesis report cites a nationwide survey of state DOTs indicating that most are using multi-disciplinary teams in some form and that tangible benefits include reduced costs and quicker project delivery. The report also provides case studies, suggested practices, and future study topics. For more information, link to NCHRP Synthesis 373: Multi-Disciplinary Teams in Context-Sensitive Solutions. (2-14-08)

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The Federal Highway Administration has published the January 2008 edition of its Environmental Quarterly newsletter. The current issue features articles on activities of the Context Sensitive Solutions Support Team; the new FALCON Teams for implementing highway pavement and materials practices, activities, and technologies; and the 2008 Beneficial Use of Industrial Materials Summit. For more information, link to Environmental Quarterly January 2008. (1-23-08)

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Parsons Brinckerhoff's Highway Sustainability Checklist was selected by AASHTO as the winning U.S. entry in the Sustainable Development category for the 2007 World Road Association’s (PIARC) International Competition. The checklist was developed in response to growing interest in an objective, non-prescriptive, broad-based tool that would support the integration of environmental stewardship practices and CSS into day-to-day highway-related practices.  The checklist is a compendium of possible measures associated with various phases of highway projects—from planning to design, through construction, operations and maintenance.  It is meant to facilitate decisions about the extent to which highway improvements might incorporate measures that go beyond satisfying minimum functional requirements by addressing contextual factors which contribute to sustainability of the natural, built, and human environments. The checklist is flexible and may be adapted to individual agencies or specific project applications.  For more information, link to PB’s Highway Sustainability Checklist [ZIP]. (December 2007)

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The city of Toronto has released draft guidelines for addressing urban design and environmental issues associated with surface parking lots. The draft document specifies guidelines for ‘greening’ surface parking lots through planting trees and landscaping, enhancing pedestrian and cycling infrastructure, managing stormwater on-site, reducing the urban heat island effect, and using sustainable materials and technology. For more information, link to Design Guidelines for ‘Greening’ Surface Parking Lots (Draft). (1-8-08)

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The Project for Public Spaces will hold a training seminar, ``Streets as Places,’’ on Nov. 29-30, 2007, in New York City. The two-day course will address placemaking as an approach to building great streets and communities and include presentations and discussion on how streets, roads, and transit facilities can be designed and maintained to both benefit communities and meet mobility needs. The course will consider topics including context sensitive solutions, walkability, transit, land use, placemaking on streets, engaging the community and transportation agencies, street management, long range transportation planning and project development, and developing a citywide or statewide transportation campaign. For more information, link to Streets as Places: A Training Seminar. (10-17-07)

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A January 2007 report from FHWA's Office of Planning documents efforts to integrate contest sensitive solutions into the transportation planning process. The report includes a literature review, an assessment of how CSS is being used in planning and related principles, development of a tool kit for the public and planners, and findings and recommendations. For more information, link to Integration of Context Sensitive Solutions in theTransportation Planning Process.

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A new guide developed by the Massachusetts Highway Department aims to provide designers and decision-makers with a framework for incorporating context sensitive design and multi-modal elements into transportation improvement projects. For more information, link to Massachusetts Highway Department’s Project Development & Design Guide.

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The Federal Lands Highway Division of FHWA has developed a Context Sensitive Roadway Surfacing Selection Guide. According to a summary, the purpose of the guide is "to provide consistent, objective, and comprehensive information regarding all roadway surfacing types and to present a rational, transparent, systematic process for selecting surfacing types for a particular project or site application."

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Frequently asked questions on use of context-sensitive solutions in transportation planning were posted on the FHWA Web site Feb. 23. The questions-and-answers document addresses issues such as: how CSS principles can be reflected in transportation planning; current examples for applying CSS principles in transportation planning; and the potential for CSS to help streamline transportation decisionmaking. For more information, link to Context Sensitive Solutions in the Transportation Planning Process.

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