As a result of the Interstate Highway program that began in the 1950s, the U.S. had a well-developed network of routes —air, rail, and road— that linked every state and connected the country as never before. However, we see today that the infrastructure that brought massive expansion also divided neighborhoods. Residents were often cut off from newly formed social and economic centers and left with limited mobility and transportation options.
The Ladders of Opportunity EVERY PLACE COUNTS DESIGN CHALLENGE seeks to raise awareness and identify innovative community design solutions that bridge the infrastructure divide and reconnect people to opportunity.
Community Teams led by local officials competed to receive on-site technical assistance in a 2-day design session with DOT and experts in the field. USDOT has selected the following cities to host community visioning sessions in July.
- July 7-8 | Spokane, WA
- July 14-15 | Philadelphia, PA
- July 11-12 | Nashville, TN
- July 18-19 | St Paul-Minneapolis, MN
Official Challenge Notice
Download the challenge notice with complete application information from www.transportation.gov/opportunity/challenge/notice.
Challenge Goals
- Encourage communities to reimagine existing transportation projects via innovative and restorative infrastructure design that corrects past mistakes; reconnects people and neighborhoods to opportunity; and reinvigorates opportunity within communities.
- Empower communities and decision-makers to work together to develop context-sensitive design solutions that reflect and incorporate the input of the people and communities they impact
Challenge Information
The Every Place Counts Design Challenge will provide technical assistance to the following communities through a “community vision” design session.
Spokane, WA – The transcontinental I-90 was constructed through the heart of Spokane, dividing the working-class streetcar suburb of East Central. The City anticipates that the technical assistance will serve as an integrator to bring together those affected by the existing I-90 corridor with partners that are committed to creating solutions through a collaborative process to further identify opportunities to maximize connectivity from the new projects currently underway while minimizing transportation infrastructure barriers.
Nashville, TN – Nashville’s I-40 was built through several predominantly African American, middle class neighborhoods in the 1960s, displacing residents and dividing a thriving community. Nashville plans to utilize well-established community partnership networks, gather input from community residents and business owners, host design sessions, synthesize ideas, post the results of the design sessions, and pursue implementation funds through its two-day design session.
Philadelphia, PA – Philadelphia’s Vine Street Expressway, or I-676, cuts through the Drexel School of Medicine, Callowhill District, and Chinatown communities. The expressway has long impeded economic investment and access to green space for these neighborhoods along its path. The city aims to produce an aspirational vision for the seven-block focus area from 7th Street and Broad Street, along with a roadmap for further public engagement and an implementation plan.
St Paul-Minneapolis, MN – The construction of I-94 divided the Rondo, a historically African American community in the Minneapolis metro area, and as the city has grown more diverse, ethnic enclaves are still clustered on either side of the highway now including Asian Americans and Native Americans as well. The community would like to develop exemplary models of regional community design and engagement to guide future corridor planning efforts.
Volunteer Information
- National and regional practitioners are invited to offer their knowledge and expertise to help the selected communities create forward-thinking, cutting edge solutions to infrastructure problems caused by past decisions that limited access and isolated communities from opportunity.
- Volunteers will provide guidance to Every Place Counts Design Challenge session participants and technical expertise to derive best practices, identify innovative solutions and practical alternatives to addressing local infrastructure challenges.
TARGETED AREA OF EXPERTISE
- Architecture
- Civil Engineering
- Geospatial Design
- Sustainable Design
- Asset Management
- Community Planning
- Design Build Services
- Construction Estimating
- Landscape Architecture
- Transportation Planning
- Academic/Researcher
- Urban Design
- Public Health
- Public Participation
- Environmental Management
- Community Development
- Multi-modal Transportation Planning
Interested Volunteers can Register Here or Email ReconnectCommunities@dot.gov