Policy #2: Diverse users – Prioritize Complete Streets where it is needed the most

A Complete Streets approach requires “diverse users” to be more than just a buzzword. This brand new addition to our policy framework aims to hold jurisdictions accountable for including equity into their plans based on the composition and objectives of the community, a requirement that was lacking from the previous framework. The U.S. history of systemic discrimination and exclusion based on race and income is part of the transportation context and cannot be ignored. Transportation choices should be safe, convenient, reliable, affordable, accessible, and timely regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, income, gender identity, immigration status, age, ability, languages spoken, or level of access to a personal vehicle.

Complete Streets

Policy #1: Vision and intent – Complete Streets are intended to benefit all users equitably


No two communities are identical, and no two Complete Streets policies should be exactly the same either. Vision and intent, a revised element in the updated Complete Streets policy framework, is an opportunity for jurisdictions to customize and prioritize their motivations for adopting a Complete Streets policy. The following post explores the reasoning behind this revisions, and how it can help communities better reach their most vulnerable populations. 

This post is part of Complete Streets month at Smart Growth America; we will be sharing a series of blog posts that cover and explain each of the 10 revised policy elements in some detail.

Complete Streets

“Public/Private Partnerships: Complete Streets & Large-Scale Development” webinar recap


On October 18th we hosted “Public/Private Partnerships: Complete Streets & Large-Scale Development” the eighth installment in our monthly webinar series, Implementation & Equity 201: The Path Forward to Complete Streets. A recording of the webinar is now available above. You can also download the PDF of the presentation, or read the brief recap below.

Complete Streets

Coming soon: A brand new Complete Streets policy framework

Introducing a brand new framework for grading Complete Streets policies

We’ve got big news to share: As you hopefully know already, each year the Coalition releases an analysis and ranking of the best Complete Streets policies in the country based on 10 policy elements that were established more than a decade ago. Beginning in 2018, we will be using a brand new framework to analyze and rank Complete Streets policies.

Complete Streets

Northern Indiana gets a kick-start on Complete Streets implementation


The National Complete Streets Coalition has been working on an exciting new project with Indiana communities along the border of Michigan, in a region known as “Michiana.”  Together with the Michiana Area Council of Governments (MACOG), we are helping to bring together communities interested in Complete Streets to make the entire region safer and more convenient for everyone, no matter their age, ability, income, race, or how they choose to travel.

Complete Streets

Complete Streets News – October 2017

Do you have a Complete Streets Implementation Committee and/or Complete Streets Coalition in your community? Let us know! We’re collecting an atlas.

Read

Registration now open for Intersections: Creating Culturally Complete Streets — Join us in Nashville, TN on April 3-4, 2018 for mobile workshops, interactive panels and breakout discussions about cutting-edge Complete Streets and creative placemaking research, ideas, and practices. The conference will also be an opportunity to meet fellow advocates and practitioners from across the country.

Have an idea related to Complete Streets or creative placemaking? We are also accepting session proposals. Take part in the movement and register today >>

Complete Streets Uncategorized

What we learned about Complete Streets implementation from Safe Streets Academy applications

As the first-ever Safe Streets Academy prepares for launch next month, the quality and number of applications that were submitted offered a deeply informative look into the challenges to Complete Streets implementation that jurisdictions across the country currently face. The National Complete Streets Coalition decided to put that information to use by creating an infographic that summarizes some of the most pressing challenges.

Complete Streets

Complete Streets Consortium Series: recapping the Chattanooga, TN workshop


The Complete Streets Consortium Series works with three jurisdictions across the same state to improve inter-agency collaboration, create a peer-learning network, and identify strategies to overcome common barriers to Complete Streets implementation. Last month, we held the first of three workshops in the series in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Check out the visual recap below:

Complete Streets Technical assistance