UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Complete streets that work for everyone who uses them will be the subject of a web-based seminar offered by Penn State Extension at noon July 17.
Presenting the 75-minute land-use webinar will be Jeff Riegner, vice president of Whitman, Requardt and Associates.
Complete streets are safe, comfortable and convenient for people of all ages and all abilities, from children bicycling to school to seniors walking to shop or visit friends when they no longer can drive, Riegner pointed out.
“When a community has complete streets, its residents can choose to walk, bike, drive or ride transit, depending on their destinations," he said. "Creating complete streets isn’t hard, and it isn’t necessarily expensive, but it does require a commitment on the part of local government to change how streets are planned, designed, built, operated and maintained."
More than 1,000 communities across America have done this by adopting complete-streets policies, which ensure that all people and all modes of travel are considered in every project, Riegner added. In return, they have created safer streets, stronger economies and better quality of life for everyone.
This webinar will introduce complete streets and how complete-streets policies can be used to transform communities. Participants will learn about what the term “complete streets” means, how communities can benefit, what elements are incorporated into the best policies, and how policies can be implemented to create real change.
Information provided in the webinar will allow attendees to develop complete-streets policies in their own communities.
“Complete Streets: Planning and Policies” is the first webinar in the Penn State Extension Summer/Fall 2019 Land Use Webinar series that runs from July through November. The series assists municipal elected and appointed officials, planners, landowners, farmers and community organizations in being informed about land-use issues and decisions in their communities.
Other topics and dates in the webinar series include the following:
–Aug. 21: "Finding Pennsylvania’s Solar Future"
–Sept. 18: "Should We Consider a Stormwater Utility to Facilitate Stormwater Management?"
–Oct. 16: "Northeast U.S. Agriculture: Why it Matters"
–Nov. 20: "Yes, Communities Can Design Out Crime"
All of these programs will be recorded and available for future viewing.
The cost of the webinar series is $50 for all five sessions, or $95 for all five sessions for those who want to receive AICP certification-maintenance credits from the American Planning Association. The cost is also $95 for all five sessions for professional engineers needing PDH credits.
In addition, registered landscape architects can receive continuing education credits for a fee of $65.
For more information, contact Peter Wulfhorst at 570-296-3400 or by email at ptw3@psu.edu. To register for the webinars, visit the website.