Slicing Up the Superblock

Session 8C | Friday | 11:00 AM – 12:15 PM (PT)

About the Session

Planning and regulating for good multimodal connectivity is essential at both in greenfield and redevelopment contexts. Cities and counties typically have some policies and even some regulations on the subject, but more often than not they are either too soft to effectively implement or not dynamic enough to address both the frequency and design of such connections. Consultant Bob Bengford has been helping a great variety of Washington communities tackle this task particularly helping auto-oriented commercial centers transform into pedestrian-oriented mixed-use centers. His three-pronged approach addresses (1) where the connections are/should be, (2) the design of the connections themselves, and (3) the design of development frontages facing those connections. He will discuss case studies all over the state and he's enlisted planners from the Cities of Kirkland and Shoreline to share examples and challenges in addressing/implementing through-block connections in their respective communities.

About the Moderator

Bob Bengford, AICP

MAKERS

Bob is a Partner at MAKERS and has been with the firm for 26 years. Bob’s work includes a mix of comprehensive planning, subarea planning, master planning, housing action plans, zoning codes, and community design standards. While he enjoys working on the full spectrum of community planning and design efforts, this specialty is helping communities crafty zoning and design regulations to implement their goals and policies. He’s completed over 70 such projects, including award-winning efforts in Anacortes, Lacey, Ellensburg, Everett, Chelan, Wenatchee, and Snohomish. Bob also has public sector planning experience in Idaho and California, which has been extremely useful to his work as a consultant. Bob earned his AICP certification in 1999 and also has a Commercial Real Estate Certificate from the University of Washington Extension (2004). Bob also co-chairs the WA-APA’s CPAT and Great Places program.

About the Speakers

Scott Guter

City of Kirkland

Scott is a Senior Planner with the City of Kirkland and has worked at the City since 2006. He has spent much of his career conducting land use and design review on major development projects within Kirkland such as the Village at Totem Lake and Kirkland Urban. Scott also managed zoning updates to the Bridle Trail Neighborhood Center and helped craft new form-based code for the NE 85th Street Station Subarea. He’s currently works on housing policy and updating the City’s Housing Element of the City’s comprehensive plan. Scott graduated from the University of Washington with a BA in Community and Environmental Planning and is a LEED accredited professional and an American Institute Certified Planner.

Alicia Halberg

Alicia Halberg is a senior planner for the City of Shoreline. Before that, she worked for Jefferson County, Colorado, and earned her MUP from the University of Washington. When she’s not in preapplication meetings or reviewing new apartments and townhome projects, you can find her nerding out about transit, biking around Seattle, hiking, climbing, skiing and petting fluffy dogs.

Nytasha Walters

Nytasha Walters, is the Transportation Services Manager for the City of Shoreline in Washington State where she is responsible for developing and implementing the City’s Transportation Master Plan including overseeing the creation of and funding for over $200 million in transportation mobility projects, as well as advises on strategic delivery. Nytasha brings more than 25 years of experience leading and managing innovative, complex and often controversial multi-modal transportation projects for the City of Shoreline, Sound Transit, WSDOT, Hatch Mott McDonald and CH2M Hill - including creation of new multi-modal corridor, tolling, light rail, commuter rail access and parking capital projects.

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