Conference spotlights citywide mobility projects, kicks off Sunday with Viva Streets
DENVER – The City and County of Denver will host the premier Designing Cities Conference next week, bringing together hundreds of acclaimed planners and practitioners from across the country to advance the state of transportation to make streets safer, more sustainable, and more accessible.
The National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) – which represents 96 North American cities and transit agencies– will lead the conference, now in its 11th year. Sessions will focus on transportation innovation across the continent, as well as highlight Denver’s work to prioritize streets for its most vulnerable users – people walking, biking, and rolling – in areas that have historically been overlooked in transportation investments.
The Department of Transportation and Infrastructure (DOTI) and city partners will also lead participants on more than 40 walking, biking, scooter, and transit tours across the city to explore transportation and city-building investments. Additionally, tours to look at transportation improvements in Boulder, Fort Collins, Lakewood, and along the I-70 corridor will be held.
“Denver has been busy working to transform its streets into places where everyone can feel safe getting where they need to go, regardless of how they choose to get there,” said Adam Phipps, Executive Director of DOTI. “I am excited to showcase our efforts as we welcome city transportation leaders from across the country and create a space where we can share ideas.”
“Transportation practitioners continue to lead with imagination, designing new ways to serve our communities,” said Corinne Kisner, Executive Director of NACTO. “Designing Cities is an opportunity to both honor the hard work of transportation leaders and to roll up our sleeves and keep our forward momentum. NACTO is thrilled to showcase the transformative projects being completed in Denver and across North America that make an enormous difference in the everyday lives of everyone living in our cities.”
Keynote speakers this year include National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy, Federal Highway Administration Administrator Shailen Bhatt, and Denver Mayor Michael B. Hancock.
The conference will kick off Sunday at Viva Streets, hosted by the Downtown Denver Partnership. Viva Streets Denver is a free community event series that celebrates Denver’s vibrant neighborhoods and supports local business with temporary car-free streets on Broadway from Alameda to 20th Street and on Welton Street from 20th Street to Five Points.
To learn more, visit NACTO.org/conference. Please reach out if you are a member of the media and are interested in attending all or part of the conference to get a press pass.
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About The National Association of City Transportation Officials
NACTO is an association of 96 major North American cities and transit agencies formed to exchange transportation ideas, insights, and practices and cooperatively approach national transportation issues. The organization’s mission is to build cities as places for people, with safe, sustainable, accessible, and equitable transportation choices that support a strong economy and vibrant quality of life. To learn more, visit NACTO.org.