The Center for Transportation Studies and the Minnesota Department of Transportation are working together to expand the understanding and use of Context Sensitive Design principles in Minnesota transportation projects.
Flexible Design for 21st Century Challenges: Balancing Competing Objectives and Optimizing Return on Investments Forum
CTS hosted the Flexible Design for 21st Century Challenges: Balancing Competing Objectives and Optimizing Return on Investments Forum on February 23-24, 2009. Sponsored by Mn/DOT, the forum was held to “jump start” and tailor a concerted Minnesota initiative to apply greater and more consistent flexibility in transportation planning, design development, and operations statewide. The forum focused on improving the understanding of opportunities to apply greater design flexibility, how to use design flexibility to increase the return on transportation investments, and institutional challenges that need to be addressed to be more successful. An action plan for implementation will be developed based on discussions from the forum.
What is Context Sensitive Design?
The Minnesota Department of Transportation views Context Sensitive Design (CSD) as the art of creating public works projects that meet the needs of the users, the neighboring communities, and the environment. It integrates projects into the context or setting in a sensitive manner through careful planning, consideration of different perspectives, and tailoring designs to particular project circumstances.
Context Sensitive Design uses a collaborative, interdisciplinary approach that includes early involvement of key stakeholders to ensure that transportation projects are not only "Moving Minnesota" safely and efficiently, but are also in harmony with the natural, social, economic, and cultural environment. Early involvement of stakeholders may help reduce expensive and time-consuming rework later on and thus contributes to more efficient project development.
A New Vision
The use of CSD principles to create transportation solutions supports a new vision for the future. Consistent with that vision, each project should reflect a sense of the place where it is built and should fit physically and visually within the surrounding environment and community.
Transportation professionals play a key role in making this new vision a reality. It is a vision that includes citizen participation, innovative design solutions, and safe roadways that improve mobility and enhance community beauty and the qualities of a place.
Keys to Success
CSD requires an early and continuous commitment to public involvement, flexibility in exploring new solutions, and an openness to new ideas. Community members play an important role in identifying local and regional problems and solutions that may better meet and balance the needs of all stakeholders.
Mn/DOT's Commitment to CSD
Mn/DOT's policy is to use a Context Sensitive approach to create excellence in transportation project development—an approach that incorporates design standards and flexibility, safety, aesthetics, environmental stewardship, and community sensitivity. Mn/DOT's goal is to construct, operate, and maintain excellent transportation facilities that satisfy stakeholders and leave a positive and lasting public works legacy.
CSD Principles
Mn/DOT's approach to Context Sensitive Design promotes six key principles:
- Balance safety, mobility, community, and environmental goals in all projects
- Involve the public and affected agencies early and continuously
- Use an interdisciplinary team tailored to project needs
- Address all modes of travel
- Apply flexibility inherent in design standards
- Incorporate aesthetics as an integral part of good design
Additional CSS resources
Call for Best Practices in Context Sensitive Solutions
The CSS National Dialog is currently seeking submissions of best practices in the application of Context Sensitive Solutions (CSS) principles to transportation projects, programs and plans. Selected case studies will be presented at a series of one-day Workshops. Submissions are welcome from transportation agencies, planning agencies, communities and other organizations. Submissions will be accepted through July 31, 2009.
Additional Resources
The Federal Highway Authority (FHWA) provides information on Context Sensitive Solutions through a national CSS web site.
Information on Minnesota's application of Context Sensitive Design and Solutions is available from the Minnesota Department of Transportation. Mn/DOT Technical Memorandum No. 06-19-TS-07 (238 KB PDF) outlines the department's design policy and commitment related to CSD&S.
ContextSensitiveSolutions.org—A CSS support center for the transportation community, created by Project for Public Spaces