SRF works with communities of all sizes to guide future community development and urban revitalization.
Using an integrated, systems-based approach, we develop solutions for complex and technical issues. We understand the importance and realities of implementation – helping our clients get to the ultimate realization of their vision.
How do we get there? A dedication to meaningful community input, an adaptive and flexible process, a skilled interdisciplinary team, and a passion for planning.
Community Planning and Urban Design
Transportation Planning
Successful transportation planning at the local, regional, and state level ensures the safe and efficient movement of people and goods while supporting community and regional goals.
At SRF, we know that plans are a means for moving toward purposeful action—we focus on involving project stakeholders, creatively addressing complex and leading-edge issues, and developing realistic implementation strategies.
We have expertise in every aspect of transportation planning, from developing plans for rural, urbanizing, and developed communities to preparing far-reaching policy documents at the regional and state level. We also work with our clients to secure funding for their projects.
Comprehensive Planning
SRF works with cities, counties, and townships to prepare comprehensive plans that address many aspects of growth, development, redevelopment, community values, and quality of life.
The process of preparing a comprehensive plan allows citizens and community leaders to reflect upon characteristics of the past and present and to formulate a vision for the community’s future.
SRF realizes that comprehensive plan preparation is an opportunity to identify qualities of the community that should be preserved and characteristics that need to change in order to improve the overall quality of life. We have developed comprehensive plans for communities across the Midwest.
Urban Design
SRF’s urban practice excels at combining creativity, technical knowledge, and sound environmental principles to create memorable high-density spaces.
From developing initial high-level design concepts to detailed materials selection, through construction observation, we dedicate ourselves to building public spaces that reflect a community’s values and character.
Streetscape Design
SRF’s landscape architects understand the community benefits of a high-quality streetscape. Streetscapes can do much more than just enhance the aesthetics of a roadway.
They can create a unique identity for a community, improve safety, and strengthen the pedestrian realm. We plan and design creative sidewalk improvements, welcoming community gateways, sustainable boulevard and median plantings, and attractive lighting treatments.
By developing inviting streetscapes, SRF has helped to enhance community livability, promote economic development, revitalize local businesses, and preserve historic resources.
Civic Placemaking
Civic placemaking is the creation of inviting and vibrant public spaces for people to gather for daily activities and special events. Through collaborative design, public spaces can become great civic places that provide economic, environmental, and social benefits that enhance the quality of life for city residents and visitors.
Our landscape architects and urban designers are civic placemaking experts. They engage and collaborate with the community to create designs that reflect the community’s unique character and values and then develop implementation approaches that will bring the design vision to reality.
Multimodal Planning & Design
Across the country, municipalities are striving to provide safe, practical access to streets for all: vehicles, pedestrians, bicycles, freight, and transit. Many terms define this trend: Context Sensitive Design, Livable Communities, Complete Streets, and Community Based Street Design.
SRF has used these concepts to develop multimodal networks for many years. Our approach emphasizes connectivity within the transportation system. Through careful consideration of the project’s context, the user’s point of view, and the relationship to the existing and future system, we develop solutions that work for your community.
Land Use Planning
Land use plans help communities visualize and guide growth and development. They become the basis for zoning decisions and allow local governments to act in accordance with state statutes that require zoning decisions to be based on an adopted comprehensive plan.
Land use plans identify the locations of future single-family and multiple-family residential land uses, commercial areas, industrial land use, and public open spaces.
Often a land use plan identifies desirable short-term or long-term changes to existing land uses. Public engagement is an important part of building broad community-wide support for a land use plan.
Transit Oriented Development
Transit corridors are most successful when the transformation considers the space beyond the transitway. SRF’s transit experts combine a thorough knowledge of transit planning, policy, and funding with urban and multimodal design expertise.
We deliver TOD plans that improve access, streets, and public spaces; realize new housing and commerce opportunities around transit stations; and identify the strategic role transit agencies, cities, and other community partners play in the transformation.
SRF has successfully assisted cities and transit agencies with obtaining Federal Transit Administration TOD Pilot Program Grant Funding.
Climate Change & Resiliency
Climate resiliency is a growing topic within community planning and urban design. Significant severe weather events and changes in our environment are integral to long-range and fiscal planning for communities and urban settings.
We are committed to integrating resiliency into infrastructure and planning projects. We examine the impacts of vulnerabilities of multiple systems and how they work together.
