“Everyone, from public officials to transportation professionals, designers, health experts, pedestrian and bicycle advocates and ordinary citizens, has a reason to be concerned about how our streets are envisioned, planned and built in communities today.”
- Gary Toth, Senior Director, Transportation Initiatives, Project for Public Spaces, former director of Project Planning and Development for the New Jersey DOT
When taken together, streets, sidewalks, transit centers and parking lots, take up the majority of outdoor space in any urban and metropolitan area. As a result, there is hardly any person in the world who is not effected by how their community’s streets function. Alan Jacobs, in his book “Great Streets”, states that “If we can develop and design streets so that they are wonderful, fulfilling places to be – community-building places, attractive for all people – then we will have successfully designed about one-third of the city directly and will have had an immense impact on the rest.“
To address the pressing issue of how our streets are impacting our communities, PPS is offering Streets as Places, a two-day training seminar about how to redefine transportation and streets to build communities, not simply move cars. Issues that will be addressed include: how street design can promote community health and economic vitality; how communities (e.g. New York City, Pittsburgh, Seattle, San Francisco, and Brunswick, Maine) are using Action Planning and street improvement experiments to transform their streets into quality public spaces; how to incorporate bicycle lanes and multi-modal infrastructure in urban and rural areas where street space is limited; how to develop more walkable neighborhoods around transit stations; and how citizens can use Placemaking to build great streets and great communities and how to engage transportation agencies to achieve the above outcomes.
Presentations and discussions will focus on policy, design, community process, and implementation strategies, all of which will emphasize how participants can work within their community to influence the creation of their transportation system. The training will describe and equip participants with practical tools for assessing a variety of types of streets including case studies of cities and towns that have moved beyond simply trying to address mobility to building community. Participants will also share their experiences, both positive and negative, with each other, and work together on our unique group exercises, in order to find solutions.
Topics will include:
- Placemaking and Streets –tools and techniques such as context sensitive solutions, shared streets, complete streets etc. for designing streets as places
- Community Engagement – how to do it effectively and without pain
- How to Deal with your Transportation Agency – how citizens can succeed in getting better outcomes from transportation departments and engage them in making short term experiments on streets and sidewalks
- Pedestrians and Bicycles – linking destinations through pedestrian and bicycle friendly streets
- Sidewalk Design – using amenities, retail displays and storefronts to generate foot traffic and economic return
- Thinking Beyond the Station – designing and planning neighborhoods around transit stations
- Placemaking and Sustainability Campaigns – sidewalks, streets, and highways that benefit communities
Training Course Agenda:
- Thursday, 8:30am – 5pm: Introductory sessions; “Street Audit” exercise; reception with PPS Staff after 5pm
- Friday, 8:30am – 5pm: Tools & techniques; specialized topic sessions; application workshop
Who Should Attend:
It is intended for anyone who is interested in creating a great street, in learning more about how streets can contribute to better communities, understanding the social and economic benefits that can result from changing the way that streets are thought about and designed and people who understand that the time for change is now. The course is also intended for transportation and health professionals, civic and elected officials, street designers, citizen advocates, city planners and designers, and downtown managers.
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Training Course Location:
Visiting New York City is an educational experience in itself. And, in recent years, the streets of New York City have been undergoing a transformation – from congested conduits for vehicular traffic to streets that are now making room for separated bicycle lanes, dedicated bus lanes, wider sidewalks, and public plazas.
The training course will take place in New York City, as well as on the streets of New York, where we will showcase some of these improvements, with before and after comparisons and first-hand knowledge of how to transform streets into places for people.
Exact location to be announced.
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Project for Public Spaces (PPS): Training Course Host:
Project for Public Spaces, Inc. is a non-profit technical assistance, research, and educational organization.
We believe that transportation investments – in both streets and transit facilities – have enormous potential to reshape communities and be catalysts for more livable, economically viable and sustainable cities. PPS’s initiative, Building Communities through Transportation, provides the framework through which cities can work in partnership with transportation agencies to achieve this critical goal. Streets as Places is a key component of this initiative.
Instructors for this course are:
- Gary Toth, PPS Director of Transportation Initiatives and former Director of Project Planning and Development for the New Jersey Department of Transportation.
- Fred Kent, President and Founder of PPS
- Cynthia Nikitin,Vice President
- Norman Mintz, Senior Associate, Main Streets
Training Course Cost:
The registration fee covers breakfast and lunch on both days and a cocktail reception, along with educational materials. Enrollment in training courses also includes a PPS membership!
Early registration (before May 13): $550
Registration: $600
Groups of 3 or more are eligible for a discount rate. Prices per person: $450.
We do offer a limited number of scholarships based on merit and financial need. Please contact Casey Wang at cwang@pps.org for more information.
Questions?
Please contact Lauren Masseria at lmasseria@pps.org.