Click here to hear David Fields’ interview with The News Hour with Michael Libbie.

Much focus has been paid to improving walkability in the urban core of Greater Des Moines. But what about the rest of the region? How do communities improve walkability in neighborhoods and suburban environments?

That was the focus of speaker David Fields, AICP, of Nelson/Nygaard, who gave a talk (slides are above) in Greater Des Moines on November 10. Fields was the lead transportation consultant for The Tomorrow Plan, the regional sustainable development plan for Greater Des Moines.  Fields was  has 20 years of experience helping communities provide transportation choice and access for all — walking, biking, heavy rail, light rail, and on-street bus service; parking and park-and-ride facilities; transit-oriented development; and more.

ABOUT: David Fields, AICP, believes a great community provides transportation choice and access for all.  With 20 years of transportation planning experience as both a consultant and public sector employee, David’s work focuses on transportation planning that supports communities’ long-term goals, including multiple modes (walking, biking, heavy rail, light rail, and on-street bus services); parking and park-and-ride facilities; policy (transit-oriented development, Parking Management, and Transportation Demand Management); and community involvement.  David led the transportation component of The Tomorrow Plan and is excited to continue to support the Des Moines region.

ABOUT: The Tomorrow Plan Speaker Series is an implementation strategy of The Tomorrow Plan, a plan for the sustainable development of Greater Des Moines, as a resource to community leaders to learn best practices from some of the country’s leading thinkers. The 2016 Speaker Series will touch on a wide range of topics related to creating a high quality of life in metropolitan areas, including the sharing economy, the effects of transportation and housing on public health, walkability, water quality, public transit and more. For more information, please visit www.dmampo.org/the-tomorrow-plan/2016-speaker-series/.