Session 3 -- Community Livability: Accommodating the human scale and enhancing the community

Moderator, Ms. Rusty Ennemoser, State Public Involvement Coordinator, Florida Department of Transportation
Ms. Carolyn Ismart, Manager, FDOT Environmental Management Office -- Presentation
Mr. George Ballo, FDOT State Sociocultural Effects Administrator -- Presentation
Mr. Jeff Caster, FDOT State Landscape Architect -- Presentation
Ms. Teresa Townsend, Planning Communities, LLC -- Presentation

Ms Ismart set the stage for the session by introducing the audience to the Florida Transportation Plan, Florida’s statewide transportation policy plan. She emphasized how long-range goals and key implementation strategies promote an enriched quality of life and responsible environmental stewardship more than ever. She stressed the importance of public and private responsibility in developing the transportation facilities of the future.

Mr. Ballo introduced how community livability is addressed in the Efficient Transportation Decision-Making process. Benefits to this process include early identification of significant community issues, recognition of community goals and plans, transportation solutions that are designed to complement the community’s vision, responsive agency decision making, and enhanced community livability. Civil Rights and Environmental Justice issues are also identified and addressed.

Ms. Townsend presented on the history and national movement to promote Context Sensitive Solutions (CSS). She defined CSS as transportation projects and activities that fit into the human and natural environment, rather than alter the environment to fit its projects and activities. She focused on how to integrate CSS from the very early planning phases to final operations and maintenance stages. She also emphasized how CSS is an effective way to resolve conflicts.

Mr. Caster presented the audience with a general overview of Context Sensitive Solutions (CSS) including the many federal and state documents that support CSS. FDOT recently formed a multidisciplinary CSS squad with the goal of embedding CSS into existing practices so that the actual CSS term will no longer be needed. The squad is currently drafting a CSS policy and improvement plan to be presented to the FDOT Executive Board by fall of 2007.

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