High-volume, high-speed arterials present special challenges for taming traffic. Conventional transportation thinking about arterials prioritizes moving large numbers of vehicles at high speed over long distances, even if those roadways run through the heart of a city. This thinking ignores the historical purpose of cities—to minimize distance and provide productive venues for economic and social exchange. Join this webinar to learn how cities are beginning to rethink their priorities for arterial streets, and what this means for planning for safer roads that also contribute to a city’s economic vitality.

Ian Lockwood, Livable Transportation Engineer at Toole Design Group and a 2011 Harvard School of Design Loeb Fellow, challenges attendees to reconsider the connections between the economic role of cities, place-making, mobility and great city streets. His presentation describes the evolution of arterial streets, discusses the concept of mobility as improving population movement for economic and social exchange, and suggests an alternative, context-sensitive framework for measuring arterial performance. Specific projects highlight cities that are rethinking their arterials and the role of traffic calming measures used as strategies to improve mobility.

Presenter: Ian Lockwood, Livable Transportation Engineer, Toole Design Group