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Context Sensitive Solutions Primer

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Context Sensitive Solutions

Woman jogging on sidewalk
CSS is about a dynamic interface between people and infrastructure

As citizens’ expectations for transportation projects have risen, so too has awareness of community needs among transportation planners and roadway designers. The question now becomes, “how do we create projects that are broadly supported and meet a range of needs?” The collaborative context sensitive solutions (CSS) approach is an answer to that question. With this approach, interdisciplinary teams work with public and agency stakeholders to tailor solutions to the setting; preserve scenic, aesthetic, historic, and environmental resources; and maintain safety and mobility. The goal of FHWA’s CSS program is to deliver a program of transportation projects that is responsive to the unique character of the communities it serves. In short, CSS supports livable communities and sustainable transportation.

Community leaders, elected officials, managers, and transportation practitioners will find in these pages the information needed to develop a deeper understanding of the context sensitive approach. The purpose is to highlight the value of these approaches and identify practical ways in which agencies can incorporate CSS principles.

CSS Primer cover page

Federal Highway Administration Context Sensitive Solutions Primer

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Updated: 6/22/2017
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