To address these challenges, Foursquare ITP evaluated the transportation systems that exist in each county and developed five propensity indices for the study area, including: where students, commuters and transit oriented populations live; and where residents work and make non-¬work trips. The indices employs myriad socioeconomic and demographic data to determine if existing transit services matches the demand of the region’s population. CSM student zip codes and trip data were also used to generate flow maps displaying travel patterns to the new Hughesville campus.
A plan recommending a phased implementation of transit services was then developed in accord with the plans for the roll out of the Hughesville campus. Route recommendations were integrated within each county’s future transit vision to assure their inclusion in upcoming regional and local planning efforts. Finally, Foursquare ITP developed land-use and TDM recommendations to integrate transit service on campus and through the area’s rural road network, and to encourage non-SOV trips to the campus.
Foursquare ITP has used similar methodologies on interesting and challenging projects on other college campuses, including a transit study for Blacksburg Transit (Virginia Tech) in Blacksburg, VA.
20 Free Software Tools for Better Work Products
Ever wonder if you are using the best software application for a certain task? Or does your organization’s IT policy (or budget) limit your ability to access cutting-edge business tools? Specialized graphics and productivity applications aren’t included in standard workplace operating systems, which can leave planners thirsting for more computing horsepower, especially in an era of increasing service demands. But if expensive, proprietary software is not within your organization’s budget, should that become a barrier to better quality, more efficient workflows, and professional growth? No!
A popular technology work-around is available through the use of free, user-friendly web applications that enhance productivity and keep within the boundaries of common workplace IT rules. This session 1) explains how to leverage cloud-based products and services to enhance your workflow; 2) highlights some of today’s most popular tools; and 3) explains how best to use them. The session also identifies the most common software-based tasks planners encounter, organizes them by function, and recommends which popular proprietary, open source, and web-based apps work best.
GIS Tools for Citizen Planners
Geographic information systems (GIS) are tools in every planner’s tool box, but how do citizens interested in planning get access to the power of GIS? With the expansion of GIS into the online world opportunities abound. This session demonstrates some of the online GIS tools used in Prince William County to provide planning information to citizens: •Pending Cases Map – An interactive map showing pending rezonings, special use permits, comprehensive plan amendments and public facility reviews destined for public hearing before the Planning Commission and Board of County Supervisors. •County Mapper – An extensive tool showing long-range land use, zoning, special use permits and a wealth of other land development, environmental, service area and infrastructure data. •Capital Improvement Program – An interactive map showing CIP projects. •Historical Commission Resource Map – A tool developed for the Historical Commission to help in reviewing development applications for impacts to cultural resources. •Trails and Blueways Council Map – A tool developed to help Trails and Blueways Council members review trails plans and development applications to guide expansion of the county-wide trails network. Participants will learn how these map services and many more provide a wealth of information to citizens interested in planning.
Trending Now
Do you know which trends will affect our profession most profoundly in the coming decades? Driverless cars? E-Retail? Drone Deliveries? The Shared Economy? This fast paced 20x20 session will flash a series of surprising facts and projections before your eyes that will open your perspective to the changes our profession could be facing in the coming decades. From deep structural changes deriving from demographic dynamics and potential economic shifts to more mercurial trends like bike, car and apartment sharing, planners are standing on the edge of a vastly changing landscape. Sadly, this session can’t tell you how to prepare for these changes, but in 20 slides, it hopefully will inspire you to explore, learn and prepare better yourself.
Showcase Your Community with Innovative Apps
Virginia planners and localities can take advantage of the latest travel and consumer trends to showcase the cultural assets of their communities and promote local commerce. The increasing reliance on smartphones as travel tools, the desire of consumers to support small businesses and “buy local,” the “gamification” of everyday experiences, crowdsourcing and online/mobile accessibility of travel-related content, and the growing popularity of “nerdy” group activities, all combine to present exciting possibilities for engaging residents, attracting visitors, and strengthening communities.
The smartphone app Traipse will be highlighted in this talk. Traipse is available as a free download on both iOS (Apple) and Android phones (www.traipse.co). This session will detail the context in which tools like Traipse can preserve and enhance capital-P Places by providing residents and visitors a means to learn about and explore them, and have fun while doing so. It will describe how Traipse worked with the City of Staunton and various community organizations to launch the app.
Self-driving vehicles & big implications for the future of planning
The future is now. Self-driving vehicles are making their way into cities and towns across America and Virginia. But what are the planning implications of this new and emerging technology, and are planners in the Commonwealth prepared to address complex and interrelated issues that will arise from self-driving (or autonomous) vehicles? This session will explore big picture topics of the aforementioned idea: The "futurism" and historical context for self-driving vehicles in our society; what are the impacts to the way we plan for and fund our transportation network; how will pedestrian and bicycle safety and connectivity integrate with driver-less vehicles; how can we evaluate our current and future land use decisions, and will these decisions advance or hinder self-driving vehicles in the transportation network? This 20x20 session may not have all of the answers but it will provide the context and case studies to implore planners to think more broadly about how innovative technology and planning should be integrated and evaluated.
Bicycles, Boats, and Birds – the Back Bay Alternative Transportation Study
The City of Virginia Beach and VHB worked in partnership with US Fish & Wildlife Service and the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation to develop an Alternative Transportation Study for the Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge (BBNWR) and False Cape State Park (FCSP). The goal of the study was to assess options for visitors to reach BBNWR and FCSP without using private motor vehicles. In this fun and fast-paced session, participants will learn how the study team identified and evaluated alternatives including bicycle and pedestrian enhancements; shuttle service; canoe/kayak access, and a water taxi.
The southeast corner of Virginia is flat. And low. And wet. The area is also beautiful, and attracts visitors seeking opportunities for wildlife viewing, recreation, and quiet open space. Currently, access to BBNWR and FCSP relies primarily on a roadway system with heavy summertime congestion and limited provisions for non-vehicular modes. These factors set the physical context for proposed improvements.
In addition to the sensitive natural environment, an active political environment influenced the study process and outcomes. The project required coordination among local, state, and federal agencies, as well as neighborhood associations, stakeholder groups, and businesses. Public engagement included public meetings, web-based outreach, and small grou
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