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.
2005 CSD&S Workshop
CTS hosted the 2005 Midwest Region Context Sensitive Design and Solutions Workshop: Overcoming Roadblocks to Project Excellence on August 24–26 in Minneapolis. This workshop addressed tough questions and challenges from around the country as well as lessons being learned and innovations being pursued to further excellence in transportation project development using CSD&S philosophy and principles.
Details are available on the CSD&S workshop Web pages.
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 CSD resources
The Federal Highway Authority (FHWA) provides information on Context Sensitive Design through a national CSD web site: www.fhwa.dot.gov/csd.
Information on Minnesota's application of Context Sensitive Design is available from the Minnesota Department of Transportation. Mn/DOT Technical Memorandum No. 00-24-TS-03 (284 KB PDF) outlines the department's committment to CSD.
ContextSensitiveSolutions.org—A CSS support center for the transportation community, created by Project for Public Spaces