A new study from researchers at the U of M’s Humphrey School of Public Affairs aims to help Minnesota practitioners get Complete Streets projects on the ground.

“The goal was to look at what it takes to move a community from Complete Streets concept to Complete Streets project,” says Carissa Schively Slotterback, one of the project’s lead investigators.

As part of the study, Slotterback teamed with her Humphrey School colleague Cindy Zerger to investigate what’s working well in a variety of Complete Streets implementation efforts across the country. The study was sponsored by MnDOT and the Minnesota Local Road Research Board.

Slotterback and Zerger investigated six best practices areas related to Complete Streets: framing and positioning, institutionalizing, analysis and evaluation, project delivery and construction, promotion and education, and funding. Project findings stressed the importance of project context, the need for institutional and cultural changes, and the benefits of engaging advocates and project champions.

Based on the findings, Slotterback and Zerger are creating 11 case studies and a guidebook to help practitioners apply best practices and lessons learned from other communities to their own projects. The materials are set for completion this fall.

To learn more, read an article about the project in the August issue of CTS Catalyst.