NASLA 2006 Landscape Awards                                Landscape Planning & Analysis
Narrative           NDOT’s Western Highways Landscape & Aesthetics Corridor Plans

Project Purpose
A team of landscape architects led an unprecedented effort to change how the State of Nevada addresses landscaping and aesthetics in their day-to-day planning decisions. The mandate was to develop Landscape & Aesthetics Corridor Plans for Nevada’s western highways that would guide all future decisions regarding the aesthetics of transportation projects within the state.

Nevada’s record levels of statewide growth stimulated the rapid development of safe and cost-effective highways. However, quick implementation has led to some costly retrofits after community organizations demanded a more active role in road improvement projects. The Governor of Nevada wanted to ensure these types of situations were eliminated, and he spearheaded the development of Corridor Plans to help highways respond to community needs and values as well as the contextual landscape. Therefore, the Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) hired a team of landscape architects and engineers to develop plans that direct the decisions and policies affecting the aesthetic quality of all Nevada’s highways.

This second phase of Corridor Planning builds upon the vision set within the I-80 and I-15 Corridor Plans in order to provide design guidance and priorities for future projects of a variety of areas including small rural towns such as Tonopah, large cities such as Reno, and visually stunning and highly utilized recreation areas such as Lake Tahoe. Three Corridor Plans were developed to address the State’s western highways-US 95, US93, US 6, US 50, US 395, SR 28, SR 207, and SR 431 – almost 1000 linear miles. Because the plans focus on rural highways, rather than the interstates studies during the first phase, they address the impacts highways have on communities. A town’s highway is integral to the social fabric as it directs the movement of residents and visitors and serves as the face of the community. The plans set a new standard for transportation projects, raised the bar for context-sensitive solutions, and established a comprehensive approach for transportation planning.

Goals and Objectives
The ultimate project goal was to transform the state’s highways and to ensure that the unique Nevada landscape was protected from the demands associated with growth. Additional objectives include:

• Balance NDOT’s goal of building safe, cost-effective highways with context-sensitive solutions.
• Enhance the visual unity of the roadway as well as set future priorities.
• Establish a collaborative relationship between communities and NDOT to achieve consensus and goals.
• Provide a method for communities to help determine how highways look and function within their towns.
• Engage agencies and organizations to help set priorities and craft a vision that represents their values.
• Provide a comprehensive, high-quality management tool.
• Provide a wide array of options for every community.
• Establish partnerships in order to foster greater understanding of issues and options for fulfilling common goals.
• Conduct a series of collaborative meetings and workshops with stakeholders and the public to solicit information, evaluate existing ideas, explore future opportunities, and produce the final product.
• Establish relationships with NDOT division heads to help develop support for the design development process.

Notable Aspects
No state has ever attempted an endeavor of this type or scope. The team developed a unique planning approach in order to establish the broad vision for each highway corridor as well as detailed alternatives and guidelines that clearly communicate the overall vision. Transportation planning typically occurs on a project by project basis with little coordination between adjoining facilities. Although the Federal Highway of Transportation advocates the use of context-sensitive solutions, no state has ever developed a tool to mange how that process is applied at a state level. The Corridor Plan creates a comprehensive understanding for how an entire state’s highway system is designed, implemented, and maintained.

The plans have changed the way NDOT approaches highway design and have led to a rewrite of the agency’s standards, establishing a new role for landscape architects in transportation planning. Community leaders are embracing the plan wholeheartedly and state and local tourism agencies have expressed excitement about the potential for the plan to increase state tourism. The plans establish the role of NDOT as a facilitator to achieve community goals. It highlights areas where NDOT should focus its efforts, establishes priorities for implementation, and addresses the entire project design process from planning to construction and to maintenance in order to provide a realistic, comprehensive vision. It also transforms a sometimes adversarial relationship between NDOT and the public by facilitating collaboration between the agency and communities.

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