General Info | Costs | Charrette Guide | Sample Agendas

General Information and Scheduling Walkable Communities, Inc. provides a variety of services to communities, large and small. The Walkable Communities staff have helped: neighborhood organizations, traffic engineering staff, planning and community redevelopment staff, universities, small towns (e.g. Crested Butte, Colorado; Brevard, North Carolina; Colville, Washington), mid sized cities(e.g. Lacey, Washington; Grand Junction, Colorado, Asheville, North Carolina), and very large cities (e.g. Las Vegas, Nevada; Seattle, Washington; Honolulu, Hawaii). Services rendered usually include:

Presentations:

• Customized for any length, occassion or audience, and can be developed using the broadest possible assortment of relavent case studies, pertinent slides and presentation graphics

Training Courses (one or two-day, can be customized to meet local needs):

• Pedestrian or Bicycle Facility Design,
• Traffic Calming,
• Healthy Street Design,
• Walkable Communities

Visioning or Design Charrettes or Workshops (usually 3 to 5-day events):

Charrettes are brief, intense design sessions that address urban problems or community visions comprehensively. All citizens who are interested in the issues or projects to be considered are placed in a room with maps of the study area. In a few days, with the help of a team of professionals (facilitators, engineers, planners, designers and architects), these citizens are able to draw a clear picture of the future of their community. A more detailed description of the charrette process is given on the following pages.

Walkable Audits:

Assist with formal or informal evaluations of walking/bicycling conditions and roadway design improvements recommended. Generally these services are provided to planning and engineering staff, local commissions, chambers of commerce, school boards, parks and neighborhoods.

"Day with Dan Burden" for a multitude of community development activities which might include (but are not limited to):

• Breakfast/lunch presentations and discussions with political, business and/or neighborhood leaders,
• Staff training on various topics (traffic calming, pedestrian or bicycle facilities, intersection design, etc.),
• Public presentations,
• Walkable audits or walking tours (often with members of the community), or
• Traveling classrooms (bus or van tours of local streets with instruction and on-site evaluations)
• Schoolroom activities with elementary and middle school students to help with community visioning.

Other Services

Staff can support new and innovative community visions by preparing reports or entire manuals to guide development of pedestrian, bicycling or traffic calming facilities. This service includes technical reviews of plans and writing manuals devoted to geometrics, traffic operations, crosswalks, sidewalks, traffic calming, school zones, downtown or other neighborhood improvements.

Scheduling Recommendations: We suggest that you pick dates at least four to six months ahead. This lead time helps both of us with planning and marketing. Dan (and any other staff hired) work in the field most of the time, so scheduling should be done through Dan's Assistant, Ken, in Orlando by calling toll-free 866-347-2734. You can also check the web page calendar to determine dates available.

Walkable Communities staff can sometimes schedule audits, interviews and general presentations into the calendar with as little as 15 days notice depending on budget and availability.

Agreements: Once you and the home office have determined your scope of services desired and scheduled the dates needed, it is best to solidify the arrangements with a letter of understanding, memorandum of agreement or simple letter contract. This official document can be drafted by either you or the home office staff. If your agency requires a more complete contract, the Walkable Communities home office staff expect you to funrish the needed documents.

Briefing Packets: It is very appreciated if local organizers of Walkable Communities services furnish detailed schedules of activities during Dan's visits, especially if there are many activities planned. Also local briefing packets with any maps or background information which would help Dan customize his presentations is also appreciated. Packet maps and materials can be returned after they have accomplished their purpose.