Despite being used successfully for decades in Europe, Advisory Bike Lanes (also known as advisory shoulders), are an emerging facility type in North America and can be an effective tool for communities to provide bicycle lanes on streets that are otherwise too narrow to accommodate them. Alta’s Innovation Lab has produced a white paper that […]
Developing a Downtown Master Plan in Laurens, South Carolina How can a community develop an active, healthy downtown? The short answer is: create a place for people. The long answer is: leverage economic, physical, and cultural assets to build the foundation for a livable, vibrant place where people want to live, work, and play. Alta’s Greenville […]
The Significance of Design Guidelines for Small Towns and Rural Communities Until recently, photographs showcasing best practice bicycle and pedestrian design throughout the US had something missing. Design guidelines generally featured transit lanes, five story buildings, and wide sidewalks; all contemporary and innovative facilities were considered to be “urban” in nature. Missing from the conversation […]
Can a city leverage its bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure to balance long-standing social equity issues with economic and tourism development goals? The Alta Greenville office is currently working with the City of Hardeeville, South Carolina, on a bike and pedestrian trails master plan to help address this complex question. Hardeeville, which is located at the […]
What makes a community a great place? The ingredients of placemaking include branding, signage, and environmental graphics that complement and reinforce the efforts of planners, engineers, and landscape architects to create great streets, trails, neighborhoods, and districts. The city of Travelers Rest, South Carolina, population 4,600, is an example of small town placemaking done well. […]
From Regional Vision to Downtown Design The Alta Greenville office is currently working on two very different projects in the City of Moncks Corner, South Carolina; these projects will explore community issues, opportunities, and solutions through two very different planning “lenses.” One project will cast a vision for biking and walking in a large region that […]
