Context sensitivity is a simple idea – taking the surroundings into consideration when making planning or infrastructure decisions. This represents a shift over traditional approaches which were all about “function” to an approach that balances the focused project purpose with community values and assets. Successful context sensitive processes both facilitate citizen participation throughout the process and allow greater design flexibility in the final product.
Our region’s surroundings, the “context,” are what define it and make it unique and distinctive.
Context sensitivity processes integrate community objectives and values relating to compatibility, livability and walkability, sense of place, environmental impacts and justice, and historic preservation, while respecting traditional objectives for street design of safety, efficiency, capacity, and maintenance. Greater consideration is given to the requirements of all travel modes (including walking, biking, and transit) on all street types; less focus is placed on expanding capacity. These objectives are met through early and continuous collaboration with stakeholders, with frequent working sessions and communication efforts throughout the design and construction processes.
In the world of transportation planning and engineering, where the context sensitivity concept has evolved into a development approach termed “Context Sensitive Solutions,” or CSS. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) describes CSS as “an approach that considers the total context within which a transportation improvement project will exist.” Most state DOTs have their own definitions as well, including Illinois:
“CSS is an interdisciplinary approach that seeks effective, multimodal transportation solutions by working with stakeholders to develop, build and maintain cost-effective transportation facilities which fit into and reflect the project’s surroundings – its ‘context.’” – Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT)
If you’re interested in learning more about Context Sensitivity or sharing your experiences, please review the following interactive CMAP strategy report. Comments and criticisms are encouraged.
Key Questions:
- Do you think that incorporating context sensitive approaches into more transportation projects would significantly benefit the region as a whole? If so, how?
- What role should CMAP have in encouraging context sensitivity in transportation projects in the region?
- Are there roles for CMAP in encouraging context sensitivity beyond just transportation? Please describe.
- What ways do you recommend CMAP change our processes and procedures to incorporate more context sensitivity in our planning and programming?
Continue reading the Context Sensitive Solutions Strategy Paper