Speaking

Thoroughfare plans have long been the domain of engineers, often focused narrowly on traffic congestion, roadway widening and right-of-way (ROW) preservation. As a result, planners are frequently left to work around rigid designs and regulations that don't align with broader community goals for safety, equity, sustainability and sense of place. This status quo calls for a new frontier with a stronger planning voice in the thoroughfare planning process.

Rather than treating thoroughfare plans as technical, vehicle-centric documents, we developed an innovative approach that integrates land use, multimodal access and the character of surrounding areas into the planning process. In this session we will introduce the concepts of context classification and street typologies and demonstrate how they can be used to align roadway design more closely with land use and community goals. 

Through interactive, scenario-based exercises, participants will engage with real-world challenges commonly faced during the planning process, such as balancing public opinion, bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure, transit access, ROW constraints, traffic flow and safety outcomes. Through these scenarios participants will gain a deeper understanding of multimodal roadway design, integrated policy documents and inclusive public and stakeholder engagement. 

Attendees will learn practical tools and proactive strategies to create forward-thinking thoroughfare plans and gain a deeper understanding of how planner-led thoroughfare planning can shape livable, equitable and connected communities.