By Phil Goff, LEED AP, Senior Associate, Alta Planning + Design As bike share continues to become increasingly popular in the U.S., Detroit can now be counted among the over 70 cities that feature the program. For Detroit, bike share is one component of the revitalization that has occurred in the central city over the […]
The Railyard is a multi-skill level skills course in downtown Rogers, AR. The course uses an old railroad cart as a technical feature and features one of the largest jumps west of the Mississippi River. By Kent Laughlin, Designer, Alta Planning + Design It’s not often a two-county region sets out to blaze hundreds of […]
by Jeff Knowles, Associate Planner, Alta Planning + Design Almost halfway between San Francisco and Los Angeles sits the small town of Coalinga (population 17,000). In many ways Coalinga is a typical Central Valley agricultural community — residents draw their livelihoods from nearby ranches, farms, and oil fields. Established as a coal refueling station for steam locomotives […]
#WalkBikeForward: Join us on our journey honoring key moments and people that have shaped our field as we celebrate 20 years of creating active, healthy communities. Ted Eytan, MD, MS, MPH, family physician in Washington, DC America’s Most Walkable City? In terms of breakthroughs, look at Washington, DC. It’s changed from a mostly unwalkable place to […]
#WalkBikeForward: Join us on our journey honoring key moments and people that have shaped our field as we celebrate 20 years of creating active, healthy communities. Dan Burden is Director of Innovation and Inspiration for Blues Zones. Over the past 40 years, he has helped citizens in more than 3500 communities promote active transportation. He […]
Alta and University of Washington Students Collaborate on a Health Impact Assessment By Chris Saleeba and Cailin Henley, Alta Planning + Design Wide lanes, fast cars, anxiety-inducing street noise, expansive parking lots and unsafe crossings afflict the 1.25 mile Commercial Avenue south of Anacortes, WA, a small coastal city north of Seattle. To improve safety […]
By Britt Storck, PLA, ASLA, with contributions from Kyle James, Chris Saleeba, and Derek Abe Trails and greenways provide significant and tangible economic, health, and quality‐of‐life benefits in communities across the country. Investments in trail infrastructure produce remarkable returns and have transformative effects in cities and towns. In a fiscally-challenging climate, quantifying these factors and […]
By Derek Hofbauer, Dana Dickman, and Jessica Roberts, Alta Planning + Design “Oh, I just bike to work — that’s not exercise!” “I walk between meetings a lot, but that’s not the same as being active.” “This is a transportation project, not a public health project.” People don’t often make the link between transportation and public health […]
By Jean Crowther, Planning Associate, Alta Planning + Design What is walkability? The most basic definition is simply, “the ability to walk.” However, true walkability is so much more than that. It can affect everyday decisions and quality of life in ways you may not even realize. Last week my husband realized that he often […]
By Jason Reyes, AICP, Associate, Alta Planning + Design While traveling in October, I was impressed by Switzerland’s wayfinding system for hiking. It’s a simple system, but it is applied consistently in each city and rural area throughout the country is what makes it so useful. They are simply yellow signs that state the name […]
