Reimagining Streets as Places - Virtual Training Fall 2020

Project for Public Spaces is teaming up with Dutch mobility firm Mobycon to present “Reimagining Streets as Places,” a virtual masterclass-style training about the intersection of placemaking and transportation planning. The course will take place over three weeks in October 2020, and upon successful completion participants will be awarded a Streets as Places Certificate. In addition, this course is eligible for 12 AICP CM credits.

Streets and street systems are for more than moving and storing automobiles. They cover the largest share of our public space regardless of where your city or town is located in the world.  Through virtual learning sessions and assignments, participants will learn the essentials for systematically changing transportation infrastructure and behavior at both the street and street systems scale, preparing community-based street activations, balancing the movement and public space functions of a street, and using time-tested methods to move from ideas to action.

This multi-day training will be designed to support new and emerging professionals who work in transportation, as well as those who advocate for safe, multi-modal street systems and a welcoming, flexible, and resilient public realm. 

If your work has an impact on public spaces and transportation infrastructure directly or indirectly, then this training is for you!

COURSE ROADMAP AND SCHEDULE

SESSION 1 - Understanding the Role of Streets as Systems & Streets as Places

MONDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2020 10:30-12:30 P.M. ET

Core Session

In this first session of the Reimagining Streets as Places training course, discussion and activities will focus on many of the core principles of placemaking, transportation planning, and viewing streets through the lens of public space. Facilitators from Project for Public Spaces and Mobycon will walk participants through the core principles of street design at the network or systems level, as well as at the place or destination scale. Hands-on activities will involve existing conditions and asset mapping  for both street systems and streets as places. Facilitated discussions will include:

• Welcome and Session Facilitator: Shaylee Zaugg, Senior Associate, Project for Public Spaces

• Discussion Facilitator: Laura Torchio, Director of Education, Project for Public Spaces

• Presenter: Streets as Systems - Mary Elbech, Integrated Mobility Consultant, Mobycon

• Presenter: Streets as Places - Nidhi Gulati, Senior Director of Programs & Projects, Project for Public Spaces

Certificate and CM Requirements

• 1-3 hours of preparation work

• 1.5 hour core session

Advanced Topics

Following the 90 minute core session there will be 30 minutes set aside where participants are invited to explore more advanced topics and discussions including:

• Sustainable Safety and Its Role in Shared Space - Johan Diepens, Founder and CEO, Mobycon

• Main Streets: Keys to a Vibrant Local Economy - Lindsey Wallace, Director of Strategic Projects and Design Services, National Main Street Center

• Gender, Equity, and Transportation - Nidhi Gulati, Senior Director of Programs & Projects, Project for Public Spaces

Learning Objectives

• Define and understand integrated mobility

• Learn about the modal pyramid - an inverted triangle of mobility priorities

• Gain basic working knowledge of placemaking in the context of streets and transportation

• Understand systemic redesign of transportation infrastructure, community-based street activations, and the key principles of placemaking

• Practice the process of asset mapping and identifying opportunities & constraints

SESSION 2 - Assessing & Balancing Priorities on the Street

MONDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2020 10:30-12:30 P.M ET

Core Session

During the second session, we will take a deeper dive into the far-reaching benefits of Reimagining Streets as Places. From both a system-wide and a street-level perspective, participants will begin to create a vision and evaluate a project of their choice (or a scenario provided by the instructors). This session will focus on the assessment, evaluation, and decision-making processes required for a balanced approach to prioritizing both public space and mobility needs of a street network. Activities will involve visioning and prioritizing ideas and values for the participant’s chosen project. Focus will include:

• Welcome and Session Facilitator: Shaylee Zaugg, Senior Associate, Project for Public Spaces

• Discussion Facilitator: Lennart Nout, Urban Mobility Design Specialist, Mobycon

• Presenter: Assessing Community Needs for Streets as Places - Laura Torchio, Director of Education, Project for Public Spaces

• Presenter: Balancing Place & Flow - Lennart Nout, Urban Mobility Design Specialist, Mobycon

Certificate and CM Requirements

• 1-3 hours of preparation work

• 1.5 hour core session

Advanced Topics

Following the 90 minute core session there will be 30 minutes set aside where participants are invited to listen to a panel interview on “Planning for Flexibility & Resilience,” where experts will discuss topical issues, like physical and social responses to the coronavirus pandemic, public space and protest, and adapting to extreme weather related events. Panelists to include:

• Skye Duncan, Director of the Global Designing Cities Initiative, NACTO

• Mike Lydon, Principal, Street Plans

• Specific speaker TBD, NYCDOT

• Specific speaker TBD, NYCDOT

Learning Objectives

• Understand the impacts that streets and transportation have on both the quality of life for individuals and for whole neighborhoods

• Understand the unintended consequences of car-oriented streets and the benefits of streets created with place and people in mind

• Learn the unique requirements by mode for width, speed, and volume

• Understand how prioritizing transportation systems at the network level creates more space for public life at the street level

• Gain knowledge of balancing the street level needs of people and traffic with the network level needs for functionality

• Expand stakeholder mapping and practice the process of assessing and balancing both place and flow

SESSION 3 - Getting Stuff Done: Tools for Collaboration & Implementation

MONDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2020 10:30-12:30 P.M. ET

Core Session

The third session of Reimagining Streets as Places is all about the how-tos of getting from ideas to action. We will focus on essential collaborative techniques to establish buy-in and stewardship, as well as design tactics based on mode of transportation and community context. Beyond infrastructure, we will discuss design prescriptions that will help to create intuitive urban environments. Participants will engage in urban design prescriptions and action planning activities that kick-start short term experiments and lead to long term sustained momentum. The session facilitators are:

• Welcome and Session Facilitator: Shaylee Zaugg, Senior Associate, Project for Public Spaces

• Discussion Facilitator: Laura Torchio, Director of Education, Project for Public Spaces

• Presenter: Design Prescriptions for Intuitive Urban Environments - Martijn Schutte, Senior Mobility Advisor, Mobycon

• Presenter: Quick Actions for Reimagining Streets - Laura Torchio, Director of Education, Project for Public Spaces

• Presenter: Maintaining Momentum for Streets as Places - Nidhi Gulati, Senior Director of Programs & Projects, Project for Public Spaces and Lennart Nout, Urban Mobility Design Specialist, Mobycon

Certificate and CM Requirements

• 1-3 hours of preparation work

• 1.5 hour core session

Advanced Topics

This session will wrap up with 30 minutes of presentations about creating projects with staying power by getting buy-in from key stakeholders and allies. These panelists will walk us through:

• Changing Hearts and Minds - Melissa Bruntlett, International Communications Specialist, Mobycon

• Working with Engineers - Gary Toth, Senior Placemaker, Project for Public Spaces

• Working with Community - Marisa Denker, Director, Connect the Dots

Learning Objectives

• Learn about intuitive design - recognizing modal priority through street design

• Review design elements that contribute to speed targets

• Become familiar with time-tested methods to move from ideas to action

• Learn essential collaborative techniques to establish buy-in and stewardship and facilitation techniques to reframe the conversation

• Understand the importance of both fast-track (tactical) and long-term (sustainable) actions for implementation

• Practice applying urban design prescriptions and creating an action plan for collaboration and implementation

Additional Course Dates

• Optional “Office Hour” - Wednesday, October 7, 2020 10:30-11:30 a.m. ET

• Optional “Office Hour” - Wednesday, October 14, 2020 10:30-11:30 a.m. ET

• Optional Networking Session - Wednesday, October 21, 2020 10:30-11:30 a.m. ET

• Within the month of October 2020 a limited number of discounted private coaching sessions with either Project for Public Spaces or Mobycon will be offered for an additional per-hour fee.