Envisioning The Future: Creative Approaches To Transportation Corridors
Presentation by Dan Marriott, PhD., Associate Professor of Landscape Architecture, Penn State
Wednesday, September 14, 2022 at 7:00-8:30 p.m.
At Centre LifeLink EMS, 125 Puddintown Road, State College, PA
The Centre County Historical Society is hosting a forum for community members to learn about creative approaches to transportation infrastructure that are safe and efficient, protective of the natural environment and historical and cultural resources, and aligned with community values. As the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) is studying several alternative corridors to address transportation issues in south Centre County, impacts on local communities, farms, historic areas, ecosystems, scenic views, and more are of great concern.
Dan Marriott, PhD. is an associate professor of landscape architecture at Penn State. He has advised transportation agencies across the United States on how they might address community needs and values in project design. He will provide an overview of key concepts—including safety, functionality, multi-modalism, and design solutions that respond to local landscapes and places— by showcasing best practices and award-winning highway projects. We will also provide time for a question and answer period. Dan is teaching an upper-level studio course this fall using the State College Connector Project for his students to engage further with community members in developing context-sensitive designs, including a community charrette or gathering in October.
“The builders of tomorrow's roads must be practical dreamers.”
-Victoria Faber Stevenson, American Highways, 1919
At this stage in the Connector Project, PennDOT is working to select a small set of candidate corridors for detailed engineering and assessment. PennDOT has announced that it will release its recommendations in late September or October. These recommendations will be reviewed by relevant agencies with an expected announcement about the final set in December. The Forum is designed to present a number of ways in which corridors may be configured and roads constructed to provide safe and efficient transportation that meets other crucial needs and values.
Parking is available at Centre LifeLink EMS but carpooling is encouraged. For additional information on this program or to be added to an email list for updates, please contact Mary Sorensen at msorensen@centrefurnace.org or call 814-234-4779.
