Awesome news for Spokane! On Monday, U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx announced that our city was one of four to win the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (USDOT) “Every Place Counts Design Challenge,” aimed at raising awareness and identifying community design solutions that bridge the infrastructure divide to reconnect people to opportunity.

Other winners were Ramsey County, MN; Nashville, TN; and Philadelphia, PA. Each area will receive a design session that convenes elected officials, urban planners, designers, and local residents around a transportation project that has the potential to link communities to services such as jobs, healthcare, and schools.

They will also get on-site technical assistance from the USDOT and design experts. Spokane’s session is July 7 and 8 and will look at the issue of Interstate 90 dividing the East Central neighborhood. The City hopes the technical assistance will bring together those affected by the I-90 corridor with partners who can create solutions and opportunities to maximize connectivity from new projects underway while minimizing barriers.

In addition to USDOT staff, volunteers including architectural design firms, urban and regional planners, engineers, and academia have been asked to offer their knowledge and expertise to help the selected cities create forward-thinking, cutting edge solutions to infrastructure problems created by past decisions that cut off and isolated communities from opportunity. 

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