Creating Livable Communities: How the Transportation Decision Making Process Can Support More Livable Community Outcomes

Addressing livability issues in transportation planning, development and implementation ensures that transportation investments support both mobility and broader community goals. In a time of lingering economic uncertainty and declining revenues for transportation projects, these issues need to be thoughtfully addressed to achieve the maximum return in community benefits from a given transportation investment. A well crafted transportation project can be the catalyst for achieving a range of other community or regional livability goals including economic growth and job creation. Communities across the country are looking for ways to develop transportation networks that serve these broader goals, such as supporting quality economic and community redevelopment, providing greater accessibility for people of varying income and ability, and helping reduce the cost of housing and transportation so people have more economic freedom. Safety is another major driver of livability. There is growing demand to design facilities for all users – Complete Streets – while balancing the different access and mobility needs of motorists, truckers, bicyclists, pedestrians and transit riders. As our society ages and becomes more diverse, how our transportation networks connect and function, how they support Main Street businesses and regional economies, and how they protect environmental and public health will become increasingly relevant to our long term economic prosperity and community quality of life. This booklet provides strategies on how to effectively consider and incorporate livability objectives in transportation investment decisions.