The Best of the Best Complete Streets Policies

Complete streets policies are keeping planners busy across the country. An annual report features the best of the best when it comes to transforming city streets for the safety and activity of all users.

1 minute read

June 12, 2017, 8:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


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Rachel Dovey reports on the release of Smart Growth America's "Best Complete Streets Policies 2016" [pdf] report.

The report grants a three-way tie at the top of the report's ranking, with three cities achieving a perfect policy score of 100: Brockton, Massachusetts; Missoula, Montana; and Wenatchee, Washington.

Here Dovey explains more about the methodology of the report:

To assess a city’s streets, the coalition looks at resolutions, internal policies adopted by leadership, statements codified by stakeholders and tax ordinances. It measures those policies on a number of merits, including vision, design, implementation steps and the consideration of “all users and modes,” among others.

For last year's report, Kelsey E. Thomas wrote about the quick growth of complete streets policies around the country. A decade ago there were only 32 such policies in place. By 2016, there were 1,232 policies in the U.S and Puerto Rico.

Planetizen featured the release of the 2014 report and covered the 2013 report as well.

Thursday, June 8, 2017 in Next City

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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

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Mary G., Urban Planner

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