Defining Urban Design

Creating spaces for people.

By Erin Perdu, Director of Community Planning & Economic Development, WSB

How do we design for the urban environment? While the term “urban” may make you think of a concrete jungle with a bustling vibe of major U.S. cities like New York City and Los Angeles, an urban environment is any population center, from small towns to mid-sized cities and beyond. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, more than 80% of Americans live in urban areas. By 2050, nearly 90% of Americans will live in cities. When we talk about urban design, we’re not just talking about skyscrapers and high-speed trains: we’re talking about designing for the communities where many of us already live.

As cities of all sizes are experiencing growth, communities are increasingly looking for thoughtful expertise to foster greater connections between people and places. This can include planning and zoning, economic development, architecture and landscape architecture, transportation and infrastructure, and many other factors that contribute to the look and feel of a space. Urban design can’t be defined by one discipline, project or service. WSB’s multidisciplinary team of professionals helps communities enhance their urban environments through public engagement and thoughtful, holistic design.

KEY QUESTIONS TO ASK

Urban design enhances the relationship between public and private spaces by considering a variety of issues, including some of the following questions:

  • HOW DOES SOMEONE ACCESS A BUILDING ENTRANCE FROM A SIDEWALK?
  • HOW DOES SOMEONE ACCESS A PARK FROM THEIR HOME?
  • WHERE CAN PEOPLE GO TO CONGREGATE AND CELEBRATE PUBLIC EVENTS? ARE THESE PLACES INVITING TO RESIDENTS OF MANY CULTURES?
  • WHAT ELEMENTS ORIENT PEOPLE SO THEY CAN FIND THEIR DESTINATION?
  • HOW DO KIDS GET TO SCHOOL SAFELY?
  • HOW MANY DIFFERENT WAYS CAN SOMEONE GET TO WORK IF THEY CAN’T OR DON’T WANT TO DRIVE?
  • HOW DO WE EXPERIENCE DESIGN IN THESE SETTINGS? WHAT INFLUENCE DOES GOOD URBAN DESIGN HAVE ON CULTURE?
HOW IT WORKS

Urban design starts with imagining the possibilities. Typically, we work with clients to create holistic visions for corridors, neighborhoods, and centers in both the public and private realm. We work together to shape cities, influence culture and focus visions.

Communities should look at a specific part of the urban environment they want to make better and take the opportunity to think bigger. Engaging the public in the initial stages is key to understanding how people interact with a place and how these interactions meet their expectations. This results in spaces that are functional, friendly and accessible to the community.

Urban design happens in a variety of places and scales – from a streetscape or alley to a neighborhood, to a district or an entire city. Urban designers create everything from small-scale plans to design guidelines to long-range plans for our communities.

We also consider the economics of the design to create projects that are sustainable, economically viable and even enhance economic productivity within a community. This is derived from conversations with landowners, businesses and developers within the private market that will partner with communities to create these places.

Beyond a single project or discipline, urban design is a comprehensive, multidisciplinary approach that enhances the environment by creating great spaces for people. Urban design relies on the wider context of an urban environment and all its components, including history, human behavior, infrastructure, the economy, climate, ecology, equity and sustainability. By planning with the wider context in mind, urban design creates people-centered places that raise the quality of life for everyone in the community.

Explore our Urban Design page to learn more.

Erin is a community planner and project manager with 22 years of professional planning experience in both the public and private sectors. She has worked as a staff planner and Community Development Director for multiple municipalities.

[email protected] | 763.287.8316

Changes to MS4 Permitting

Soon Minnesota’s Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) communities will continue the reissuing process and applying for coverage under the revised MS4 General Permit. The updated MS4 General Permit is expected to be reissued by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) this Summer of 2020. This will create significant changes in the ways that MS4 permittees will operate, starting with modifications to address any procedural and programmatic changes needed as a result of the updated rules.

Below are the Top 5 Proposed Changes – What You Need to Know

  1. Volume control requirements to treat all new and fully reconstructed impervious surfaces equal to one or more acres.
  2. New performance-based responses to chloride, bacteria, and temperature TMDLs; including a written plan to identify and prioritize activities to achieve reductions.
  3. Additional education and outreach efforts on salt use and pet waste.
  4. Increased responses to snow and ice control operations. Improved management of salt storage at commercial, institutional and non-NPDES permitted industrial facilities.
  5. Additional documentation requirements to better evaluate permit compliance and SWPPP effectiveness.

The MS4 permit application process is a two-part process. The first includes the permit application fee, contact information for the applicant, and applicant certification. Existing permittees have already completed this step in late 2017 or early 2018. The second part, known as the Part II Stormwater Pollution Prevention Program (SWPPP) Reauthorization Application document, includes information about the applicant’s current SWPPP. It compares it to the revised permit rules and identifies action permittees will take to be compliant with the updated MS4 rules.

Once the MS4 permit is reissued by the MPCA, there will be a 5-month (150 days) period for applicants to submit an application electronically through the MPCA’s website to the MPCA Commissioner for review. After permit applications have been approved by the MPCA, the new SWPPP document will be placed on public notice for 30 days with the opportunity for a hearing on the preliminary determination. Following the public notice, permittees will have 12 months to update their MS4 programs to meet the new permit requirements. Our Environmental Compliance group is familiar with every step of this MS4 permit reissuance period and available to assist.

In the meantime, MS4s must continue to implement their programs and follow the expired MS4 permit’s rules. This means that routine efforts to provide education and training, identify illicit discharges, and monitor and maintain the MS4 system must continue. MS4 permittees are also expected to continue their erosion control inspection schedules and monitor active construction projects despite the COVID-19 pandemic. Inspectors are encouraged to wear masks and maintain social distancing standards while out on site. Our Environmental Compliance team is available to help your community meet this permit requirement. We can help augment site audits by regulators, provide temporary inspection support, carry out enforcement protocol, and provide any other support to help local erosion control programs.

Please contact us for additional assistance or questions.

Meghan Litsey is director of our Environmental Compliance team and has over eight years of experience. She specializes in providing environmental compliance services in construction site permitting, SWPPP design and inspection, and MS4 program development. 

[email protected] | 763.287.7155

State-wide reopening creates unique opportunity for cities to support Minnesota restauranteurs

By Molly Just, Senior Planner and Eric Zweber, Senior Project Manager, WSB

As Minnesota communities adapt to enable long-shuttered restaurants to reopen and adhere to social distancing and health and safety standards, they are looking for ways to address outdoor seating in compliance with the June 1st – Stay Safe Minnesota government order.

While outdoor restaurant dining has proven to attract a larger customer base for many businesses looking to boost their summer season revenue, other restaurants are faced with space limitations and licensure issues that prevent them from accommodating outdoor seating. As restaurant owners struggle to consider the many factors that will determine a June 1st reopening, cities can take proactive steps to support the economic growth in their communities, while also keeping their residents safe.

WSB’s city planners have put together a list of key considerations for enabling outdoor dining under the June 1st – Stay Safe order, along with a list of resources including agencies and organizations that support and regulate outdoor restaurant dining.

Outdoor restaurant seating | Stay Safe Minnesota

Primary issues to consider prior to establishing an outdoor dining space.

Liquor License

  • Make any necessary modifications to liquor license
    • Must be compact and contiguous to modify on-sale liquor license 
  • If the site cannot be compact and contiguous, consider a caterer’s license
    • Caterer’s license must be for an event of a limited time and cannot be used daily
  • An updated liquor liability insurance is required for all businesses
  • Update business site map and file with DPS Alcohol and Gambling Enforcement Division 

Health and Safety

  • Consider updating the business’ Health Department Certificate 

Tent Set-Up

  • Plan for summer rain to keep space open
  • Consider rules for outdoor patio space and smoking

Note: Americans with Disability Act (ADA) and Fire Code regulation must be followed and cannot be waived.

Potential issues to consider for businesses located on private property.

Parking

  • Seating restrictions allow maximum of 50 patrons at one time
  • Parking requirement allows one stall per three seats
  • Maximum parking requirement up to 17 stalls

One-Way Traffic

  • Option to reduce parking lot drive aisle width to 18 feet or less 
  • Must allow seating area to occupy one half of parking stalls and part of drive aisle 
  • May require parking stall re-striped for angled parking 

Additional issues to consider for restaurants on public property.

  • Balance of seating and dining areas in a public space
  • Special Event Permit for businesses who need the space available on a limited basis 
  • Consider temporarily restricting on-street parking to allow more space for outdoor seating 
  • Consider temporary decking options for accessibility

Agencies and organizations who support outdoor dining regulations.

League of Minnesota Cities

Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development

Department of Public Safety

Molly has been a planner at the local and regional levels and in the private sector for nearly 20 years. Molly is driven to reveal and promote the benefits of planning for all stakeholders in a project. Whether negotiating development agreements that benefit the public, writing new zoning codes to address changing local conditions, or writing comprehensive plans, Molly plans with all stakeholder groups in mind. Molly is recognized for considering all aspects of a community in her planning from schools to utility infrastructure and she prides herself on working collaboratively with professionals from other disciplines to get the job done right. 

[email protected] / 612.364.4586

Getting Started with Tribal Funding

There are many challenges to maintaining a healthy and prosperous tribal community. Tribal leadership is responsible for building, maintaining and improving the infrastructure and services for tribal members on an on-going basis. This can be daunting and overwhelming when the necessary resources are not readily available. The good news is there are a variety of funding sources available to tribal communities, here are the first steps you can take when applying for funding.

1.) Prioritize goals and align with available funding options

In many instances, tribal sovereign nations have developed planning documents such as integrated resources management plans (IRMP), comprehensive plans, housing plans, surface water management plans, economic development plans, cultural preservation plans, and many others. Having clear goals and aligning them with available funding opportunities will position your tribal community for success at acquiring critical funds for initiatives that are most important.

2.) Determine eligibility, eligible expenses, required matches (if any) and maximum/minimum funding amounts

Funding is available from a variety of local, state, federal, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and all have eligibility requirements and allowable expenses. Others may require match (in-kind or cash) and have minimum/maximum funding requests amounts. Understanding these basic requirements is a prudent second step in deciding if pursuing a funding source will be worth the investment of time and how well the grant can support the project. 

3.) Develop partnerships/coalitions

Funding requests can vary greatly based on need and scale of the project or program. For large projects that require a large capital investment or match that may not be available, consider developing partnerships or coalitions with local, state, federal, or NGOs to security necessary funds. This can allow you to leverage multiple funding sources, expertise, volunteers, and support, which in most instances increases your chance obtaining grant funding.

4.) Determine what type of project needs funding

Projects and grant requests may divide into broad categories such as:

  • Education/Outreach
  • Data Collection
  • Implementation
  • Monitoring
  • Planning

Depending on where your community is with planning and datasets, new projects may need to begin as planning projects and include implementation plans. This will help you describe your project and develop a clear workplan to successfully achieve tribe goals. Some funding sources do not support planning or data collection and simply support project implementation, while others are the opposite, only supporting planning and data collection and not implementation. Therefore, addressing points one and two is critical to your application and should be as persuasive as possible to demonstrate that you have a clear set of goals and implementation plan. In some cases, including elements from each of the above categories on applications, or at least addressing them, can improve your application and odds of being granted funds.

5.) Plan for what comes next

Having a clearly defined workplan and accurate cost estimates for your project/program is critical to successfully winning grants. If there are too many expenses exceeding currently available funding, consider phasing your project over time and explain that in your grant application. It is possible to be awarded funding on a multi-phase project that is implemented over a series of years if it follows a clear plan. Be thinking about what comes after completing the workplan. Consider how you will fund and support the project after the grant is completed.  Many times, grant programs can build on themselves; after successfully obtaining one funding source and completing the project, you may unlock additional funding sources to expand the reach of your initial project.

Other things to consider:

Capacity Building- Do you have capacity (staff, equipment, time, etc.) to complete the project and can you use grant funds to build capacity that provides future opportunity?

Data driven- Can you use existing data to support your rationale for the grant funding?  If not, this may be your request as you identify data gaps and request funds top fill those gaps.

The Top Ten Benefits of a Park System Master Plan

By Jason Amberg, Director of Landscape Architecture, WSB

Communities can better plan for their future by developing a system-wide comprehensive park, trail, and recreation master plan. Public engagement, intentional planning, and aligning needs with recreation trends are challenges communities may face when planning future park systems. Acknowledging these challenges is crucial for creating a successful park system plan that meets the needs of its users.

1. Establishes a long-range vision

Establishing a long-range plan helps ensure that resources are used effectively, and priorities are based on the greatest community benefit. Aligning the vision of a community to the system plan helps meet the needs of the public and establishes a clear plan of action.

2. Prioritization and budgeting for Comprehensive Improvement Plans (CIP)

Priorities are established through a park system planning process. From high-level budgets to determining a proposed timeline for implementation, developing priorities provides a better perspective of what is possible. As populations grow, the park system should develop and grow as well. Communities can make a strong impact when aligning their priorities and investments across the system.

3. Filling gaps and reducing redundancy

When preparing a system plan, analyzing the distribution of parks and bike/pedestrian connectivity is essential to gain a better understanding of existing gaps and overlaps. Changes can then be better implemented to serve residents that may be lacking proper access to recreation and reduces overlap where similar recreation opportunities exist. Analyzing the distribution and connectivity of parkland in a system develops opportunities for active and passive park options that can include unique playgrounds, courts, plazas, sports fields, picnic areas, overlooks, etc. 

4. Community support

There are many ways to engage stakeholders, both in-person and virtually. Open houses, community events and online engagement methods create opportunities for public involvement. Not only does public engagement generate community support for funding, but it also provides relevant perspectives from the broader community to ensure the system plan accounts for diverse users, improves transparency and builds trust. Increased public engagement is leads to increased future community support. of community members.

5. Potential for and promotion of partnerships

System plans also identify private and public partnership opportunities. These partnerships may include school districts and private educational facilities, fitness centers, associations, townships, watershed districts, state agencies, and other municipalities. This collaborative effort helps communities build and deepen existing or new relationships.

6. Grant application tools

Many grant funding applications require a public engagement process and an adopted plan. From trails to park development, the system plan shares a clear vision and budget estimates that are based on public input. As public engagement becomes increasingly important, organizations are looking for park planners who connect with community members through a variety of methods. The system plan provides the necessary background information, community perspective, priorities, budgets, and exhibits necessary for grant funding applications. 

7. Opportunities for future development

System plans may recommend communities set aside open space and preserve land to accommodate population and spatial growth of the area. Census data, demographics and regional trends all help determine the amount and type of land needed in the future. The system plan is meant to help cities work with developers as growth occurs to ensure future recreation needs are met.

8. Establish a plan for the park amenity life cycle

Park systems in many communities were established using a ‘cookie-cutter’ approach to park development. This occurred over a short period of time when development was booming through park dedication dollars. While recreation needs may have been met for several years, this approach led to many parks looking nearly identical. It also created the need for simultaneous rehabilitation requirements as many parks reach the end of their lifecycle at the same time. Establishing a strategy for completing upgrades that allow park spaces to be unique and complementary to one another will reduce the future likelihood that several parks require a full replacement simultaneously. This also allows cities to budget for replacement costs not funded by park dedication dollars. 

9. Aligning investment with needs

Proactive consideration of recreation trends reduces the need for further investment in downward trending park features. Current and projected recreational trends should be considered before investing into rehabilitating existing park amenities. As demographics continue to evolve, the needs for park and recreation program offerings will change.

10. Physical and Mental Health Benefits

Parks, trails and natural open spaces provide residents with both physical and mental health benefits. Whether it is a walk on a trail, connecting with nature, playing outdoor sports, or interacting with play equipment, data indicates that recreation improves health, interaction with others, and enhances community pride.  

Jason is the Director of Landscape Architecture at WSB with more than 25 years of experience in public space planning and design. From small-scale neighborhood park improvements to comprehensive park and trail system plans, Jason has worked with park boards, municipalities, governing agencies and community residents.

Jason Amberg | [email protected] | 763.231.4841

This article originally appeared in the Greater MN Parks & Trails April Newsletter.

Navigating Public Improvement Projects During COVID-19 – Part 2

Enjoy part two of our two part series discussing how to best manage your community during stay at home and social distancing. In this episode our team of experts share challenges and solutions to current financial conditions and project financing options. This webinar includes special guests from Baker Tilly Municipal Advisors and Ehlers Public Finance Advisors.


A True Game Changer – Traffic modeling for a more reliable commute

By Jody Martinson, VP of Transportation, WSB

Our Traffic Operations team recently developed a large-scale traffic simulation model for the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT). The current model is used to track vehicle congestion on interstate 94 (I-94), including the 15-mile stretch of highway between Minneapolis and St. Paul, commonly known as one of the most congested corridors in Minnesota.

The I-94 corridor generally supports a high volume of traffic during morning and evening commute times. Travel patterns on this corridor are complicated due to the roadway geometrics and vary with each commuting experience. Drivers risk getting stuck in several hours of traffic congestion depending on their travel window.

Beyond day-to-day commuting traffic, Minnesota roadways have a large amount of freight traffic to consider.  WSB’s simulations help to better understand the origin and destination of freight flows as well as help better identify bottlenecks for freight traffic.  This is important as the freight industry is a vital component to the regional and state economy. When goods are free flowing, avoiding time consuming bottlenecks, the direct impact is noticeable, and Minnesota’s economy becomes stronger.   

The microsimulation tool uses geospatial, Federal Highway Association (FHWA), and other historical data to capture the speed and flow of highway traffic. State-of-the-art software allows us to monitor complex highway and arterial traffic conditions more efficiently while tracking the dynamic interactions between vehicles. Daily traffic congestion is tracked and recorded using heat mapping and other reporting tools. The interactive model depicts several modes of transportation operating during peak commuting hours. Collected data is analyzed for accuracy and applied to determine future transportation planning initiatives.

The true benefit of this technology is our ability to run a higher number of alternatives at a pace the industry has never experienced before.  We can now study ten times the alternatives in under half the time it took only a year ago.  It’s a true game changer for our industry.  And for our partners, they are reaching solutions sooner that are much more economical.  In doing so, we’re saving them valuable time and money.  Ultimately, we’re helping our clients ensure they are allocating their resources in the right places at the right time.

Moving forward, our goal is to continue to leverage the latest technology to identify operational deficiencies more quickly for our partners and help to develop future alternatives that support a more reliable commute.

As Vice President of Transportation, Jody oversees the management and operations of the WSB Transportation group. Jody is the former Assistant Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) Operations Division and has over 25 years of experience in the delivery of major transportation projects, programs and management of existing infrastructure.

[email protected] | 612.214.7787

 Learn more about WSB’s Transportation Planning services and related projects.

Let’s Keep Moving

By Ron Bray, Vice President, WSB

Much like our economy, our industry has its ups and downs. These are challenging times that no one would have imagined. No industry is immune to economic disruptors, but our collective commitment to bringing stability back to infrastructure project delivery is our differentiator. We can’t predict the future, but we’ve adapted to our circumstances. We have project delivery options to fit specific timelines and needs. Delivering projects faster and getting projects on the shelf for a possible stimulus package will put you in a competitive position to benefit your constituents. Now might be the time to consider Alternative Delivery solutions for your Cooperative Local and Trunk Highway projects. Design-Build projects can advance much quicker than standard Design-Bid-Build projects. Now is the time to chat about this and other funding or project delivery opportunities.

Earlier this month, my good friend and colleague Dave Enblom explored challenges our County Engineers are facing as we navigate the fallout of COVID-19. It’s important for us to think about these challenges and find solutions that bring some stability to our industry.

Making government guidelines work for you

Consider which guidelines are affecting your operations and start implementing new procedures. Legislation or policy change may be needed to make projects work, especially streamlining the environmental permits and process. Determine the skills you need and your goals. Find ways to accomplish these goals and reorganize or reassign teams if necessary. Do you need a bigger team, but can’t make a full-time hire? Consider augmenting your staff with a part-time consultant. We can help with project management or any other areas that are understaffed. Use emerging technology to create efficiencies.

Stay connected to your teams and the public

Technology to keep public discussion moving forward is critical, it needs to be customized depending on the area of concern and whether it is a large-scale effort or one-on-one with a project stakeholder. Maintaining a healthy public conversation is vital to securing permits and gaining agency approvals. We’re seeing how team meetings can be done virtually, and face-to-face conversations can and should still occur. Use video conferencing solutions to check-in. Continue public engagement efforts to help guide decision making and move projects forward through visualizations, immersive 3D, virtual reality and augmented reality solutions. WSB’s IT and Technology staff have the expertise to assist you.

Stretch your stimulus dollars

Following past crises, significant dollars were allocated to major, high-priced infrastructure projects. Find ways to tighten project timelines by exploring efficiencies using technology. Consider using advanced data collection or reality capture tools to create reality meshes that work in Autodesk, MicroStation, and GIS. Asset management is being changed through AI systems and efficient collection of data.

Keep moving forward

We know it is going to take a team approach to move projects forward if there is a stimulus package. I have always loved how close the County Engineer’s Association is and how you work together as one voice. This is the time where our collective support of each other will allow each of our organizations to move faster and better together. 

As we continue to work through COVID-19, show compassion to your colleagues and empathy for the challenges they’re facing. Sometimes you’ll act as a resource and other times you’ll need help. It’s in our best interest to work together.

After every economic disruption or crisis, I look for the silver lining. Following the Great Recession, there was more awareness of the importance of infrastructure in our economy, and the need to proactively manage, prioritize, and invest in it. Now and in the near future, we have an opportunity as an industry to show that a combination of emerging technology and expertise will be the future of infrastructure development. We are proud to be your colleagues and we value our continued partnership to accomplish your goals and community needs. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if we can help in any way.

Be safe, stay healthy, and we will see you soon!

Ron has been a Vice President and Principal in transportation and construction services for over 37 years. He’s experienced with roadways and bridges, planning, traffic analysis, geometric layout, design of roadways and bridges, and constructions services.

[email protected] | 763.287.7177

Spring flooding expected, new model warns asset managers about potential risks

By Nick Rodgers, Coastal Geomorphologist, WSB

2019 marked the wettest spring on record in the U.S. and with it came extensive flooding, affecting millions of Americans. The National Weather Service just released its 2020 spring flood outlook, predicting that flooding will be above average again. Minor flooding is expected in the spring, but recent warm winters have increased flooding by saturating soils before spring rains arrive. Like 2019, this spring is forecasted to bring above normal precipitation.

Large scale flooding damages infrastructure and displaces people from their homes. The 2019 floods caused millions of acres of farmland to go unused and transported the farms’ fertilizer to the Gulf of Mexico, creating a massive “dead zone” where fish cannot survive. Flooding can cause a “natural hazard cascade” where one disaster leads to more including erosion, landslides, and chemical contamination. The total cost of 2019 flooding is estimated to be $6.2 billion.

Our team at WSB recently developed a flood model to predict flood extent and help asset managers reduce damage to infrastructure. In general, these models can be used to assess risk for specific pieces of infrastructure, individual cities, or entire states. With this new flood model, we help asset managers determine risk by first predicting where flooding is most likely to occur. This information allows us to work with stakeholders to decide which assets are most vital. The process informs asset managers which critical assets are most likely to experience flooding and where flood risk is highest. Asset managers use limited resources to fight a seemingly unlimited amount of water. A strong understanding of risk is vital when deciding how to use limited resources for the next historic flood event. Although we cannot control the warm winters and wet springs that face us, we can control how we respond and prepare.

Nick is an environmental consultant with one year of project experience specializing in geohazard risk assessments, geomorphology, and GIS analysis. His technical skills include developing GIS models for geohazards, client consultation on how geohazards affect public and private assets, data visualization, and expertise in coastal and fluvial geomorphology. His non-technical skills include public speaking, developing client relationships, and project scoping. Most recently, Nick designed a new GIS flood risk model that estimates risk for large areas with minimal data input.

[email protected] | 612.219.9470

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