What is the CSS National Dialog?
Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the Center for Transportation and the Environment (CTE) at North Carolina State University are partnering in a project to initiate a national dialog about Context Sensitive Solutions (CSS). The project will serve as a catalyst for an ongoing exchange of ideas, and will build momentum for wider implementation of CSS in the transportation industry.
The goals of the Dialog are to:
- Introduce CSS principles and practices to a wide array of partner organizations
- Identify CSS best practices and present those to transportation professionals across the nation
- Strengthen and broaden the interest in Context Sensitive Solutions
- Discover new opportunities for partnerships
- Bring new perspectives to planning, designing, building and maintaining transportation facilities
- Foster a community of CSS practice and promote the dissemination of CSS best practice examples
The Dialog features a series of one-day workshops to be held in various locations across the United States. Each workshop highlights CSS best practices, using transportation projects, plans, and programs to initiate discussion and interaction.
The Dialog is sponsored by the Federal Highway Administration and supported by the Center for Transportation and the Environment, a university-based transportation center housed at North Carolina State University. The Dialog is funded by the Federal Highway Administration’s Office of Planning, Environment and Realty’s Surface Transportation Environment and Planning Cooperative Research Program (STEP).
How You Can Participate in the CSS National Dialog
Join the Community of Practice
Register and participate in the CSS National Dialog discussion forum at the CSS Clearinghouse Website. The Discussion Forum provides an informal convening point for practitioners, partners and stakeholders. You can post your questions and comments on CSS topics.
FHWA and CTE invite your input on future topics and activities for the Dialog on the Future Topics and Activities thread of the National Dialog Discussion Forum. Review the suggestions collected from workshop and webcast participants and let us know which are of interest to you. Or post your own ideas!
"Continuing the Conversation" Webcast
View the Webcast and accompanying material for Continuing the Conversation, the national Webcast that brought together presenters from the regional workshops with FHWA staff to discuss the opportunities and new approaches to applying CSS principles as part of the day-to-day work in transportation agencies.
The presentations included updated information on the case studies, emerging challenges, and new directions at local, state, and federal transportation agencies.
On-Site Workshop Webcasts and Accompanying Material
The on-site workshops are over, but you can still participate by viewing the workshop Webcasts and accompanying material. Check the workshops page for details.
People across the country are talking about the need to plan, design, build and maintain our transportation infrastructure in a way that enhances our quality of life.
Join us in this important conversation!
CSS National Dialog Steering Committee
A steering committee has been convened to provide guidance for the Dialog. This multi-disciplinary group comes from federal, state and local organizations. Steering committee members have diverse perspectives on transportation, land use planning, environmental conservation and community issues and they bring tremendous depth of experience and knowledge to the Dialog. The steering committee will play an important role in developing Dialog workshops and helping with outreach to new constituencies.
Questions?
Contact the Center for Transportation and the Environment at cssnationaldialog@ncsu.edu or 919-515-9351