Intentional Impermanence: Complete Streets 2.0

Douglas Hausladen, New Haven’s transportation director, envisions building complete streets quickly through a fail-fast approach.

1 minute read

February 23, 2015, 5:00 AM PST

By Philip Rojc @PhilipRojc


Complete Street Vancouver

Paul Krueger / flickr

Faced with a long queue of complete streets projects and the prospect of implementing only one a year, Hausladen imagines a different way. Called Complete Streets 2.0, the project will substantially reduce costs by "failing often" via impermanent changes to street space.

Existing roads will be modified to better serve the needs of pedestrians, bicyclists, and buses. "That sounds like a major project, but by doing the job with paint, delineator tubes, and traffic bollards—rather than hard-engineered curbing—[Hausladen] says it can be done for less than $80,000."

If they fail to deliver desirable effects, New Haven can simply reverse the changes. Eric Jaffe reports that amateur "experimental urbanists" already apply extralegal fixes to the urban fabric. Hausladen wants to try out similar approaches officially.

While temporary road markers lack aesthetic appeal, surpassing theory and actually building complete streets might help the model spread.

Thursday, February 19, 2015 in CityLab

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 9, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Green vintage Chicago streetcar from the 1940s parked at the Illinois Railroad Museum in 1988.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails

Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

July 13, 2025 - WTTV

Aerial view of downtown San Antonio, Texas at night with rotating Tower of the Americas in foreground.

San Antonio and Austin are Fusing Into one Massive Megaregion

The region spanning the two central Texas cities is growing fast, posing challenges for local infrastructure and water supplies.

July 3, 2025 - Governing

White park shuttles with large Zion logo on side and red rock cliffs in background in Zion National Park.

Since Zion's Shuttles Went Electric “The Smog is Gone”

Visitors to Zion National Park can enjoy the canyon via the nation’s first fully electric park shuttle system.

5 hours ago - Reasons to Be Cheerful

Chart of federal transportation funding comparing Biden and Trump administration spending.

Trump Distributing DOT Safety Funds at 1/10 Rate of Biden

Funds for Safe Streets and other transportation safety and equity programs are being held up by administrative reviews and conflicts with the Trump administration’s priorities.

6 hours ago - Transportation for America

Close-up on yellow and black TAXI sign on top of beige car in central Munich, Germany.

German Cities Subsidize Taxis for Women Amid Wave of Violence

Free or low-cost taxi rides can help women navigate cities more safely, but critics say the programs don't address the root causes of violence against women.

7 hours ago - Bloomberg