As a Senior Project Manager at Sain, I lead our transportation and sustainability practices in the Traffic Department to help communities plan for future growth. Sain’s approach is to take a look at the community as a whole to map out a plan that will include transportation analysis to shape a community’s future growth and sustainability.
RESHAPING A COMMUNITY’S STRATEGY
A number of our designs include initiatives that communities can implement strategically. When we work on a plan for reshaping a community, we first think about why the community is essential. A community is not just a place or a building, but we define it as a feeling and a set of relationships between people. We think of them as a way to create a sense of belonging, trust and safety for the citizens that make up a community. Communities help encourage social interactions and can reduce health and psychological issues such as depression and anxiety. Communities also help people develop personal and business relationships as well as increase self-awareness for growth. In essence, we see communities as a tool that helps improve the quality of individual lives.
When city officials consider reshaping a community, it indicates the people within the community are valued. It also demonstrates the bonds of trust, safety and family created within that community are also important. When you reshape a community, it is a continued enhancement and strengthening of the overall health and well-being of the people who live there.
Reshaping communities also illustrates that the community’s future is vital because it ensures that it is healthy, equitable and sustainable. Communities are then able to grow and attract other sustainable businesses and industries instead of reacting to something that may not be in the best interest of its citizens.
RESHAPING A COMMUNITY’S TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM IS MORE THAN MOTOR VEHICLES
In addition to laying out a plan for the community to grow, it takes a considerable amount of thought and strategic planning to reshape the ways people move from place to place. A community needs to look beyond motor vehicles, and see the bigger picture to be sustainable. A transportation network only suitable for motor vehicles is incomplete.

Bicycle and pedestrian accommodations are too often an afterthought in the project life cycle, despite the forethought required to incorporate active transportation into the community. Providing safer and more practical connections are key to community acceptance of cycling and walking as a reasonable modal choice.
When we look at developing a plan for reshaping a community, we utilize a tailored approach for each active transportation planning scenario in order to accomplish a community’s goals. In other words, what works for Riverside Drive in Asheville, North Carolina, may not work for Broad Street in Gadsden, Alabama. Right-sizing and context-sensitive design require technical knowledge of active transportation as well as a true feel for the community. For example, a community with a robust park system would likely see more recreational use of bicycle and pedestrian facilities. Another community may benefit more from essential connections from population centers to transit hubs, medical services and grocery stores. Every community is different, and bicycle and pedestrian accommodations can be leveraged to strengthen what matters to people.
THE FUTURE OF COMMUNITIES
The COVID-19 pandemic has forever changed the way we work, drive and interact in communities. In fact, it gave us a window into the future of what communities will look like. We predict that more and more people will be working from home globally which will truly connect communities worldwide. Commuting patterns will continue to evolve as Central Business Districts transform from large concentrations of office space into 24/7 communities with increasing amounts of residential and recreational land uses.

Suburban areas will see increased demand for bicycle/pedestrian infrastructure and destinations, such as town centers, to support active transportation and the increased daytime population associated with work-from-home employees. Transit systems will continue to evolve with more emphasis on suburban connectivity by implementing premium transit options in smaller and mid-sized cities. Technology will also impact the way people drive given the emergence of connected and autonomous vehicles and the way people shop as drones and robot deliveries become more common. This, in turn, will shape future land use as there will be less emphasis on in-person shopping at retail centers and more emphasis on providing an experience that would attract patrons to these centers for other recreational purposes. It also will facilitate mobility because people will be able to shop and dine from the comfort of their own homes.
Contact us to learn more about how Sain can help you strategically reshape your community.
Shardae’ King and David Coggin contributed to this blog post.