Category: General Civil / Municipal

10 Powerful Elements Bring Public Spaces to Life

By Chris Silewski, PLA How do you make a space great? Design it for its intended uses but with flexibility for those uses to change over time. And give people not just a single focal area in which to congregate but at least 10 ways to engage with the space. Look carefully, and you’ll notice… Read More »

Accessible Sidewalks Serve All Users

As simple as it seems, the design of good sidewalks requires a fair amount of technical consideration. Generally we think of sidewalks as a type of transportation infrastructure – a way to get where we’re going on foot – and we tend to overlook the regulations that keep our sidewalks safe and accessible for all… Read More »

Through or Around? Lots of Options for Accommodating Traffic During Construction

Concrete paving proceeds along East Washington Avenue in Madison, Wisconsin. Four lanes of traffic were maintained on this six-lane arterial during construction. By Kim Ballweg, PE When it’s time for a community to reconstruct a busy street, visions of orange barrels cause foreheads to wrinkle reflexively. It can be hard to get from Point A… Read More »