Vision

MISSION STATEMENT

Ensure that capital investments for the rehabilitation / reinvention of public infrastructure assets and private developments save time and money.

Professional Approach


Photo: Seth Taras

A proactive approach to reinventing our infrastructure assets is critical. This includes the re-evaluation of long term viability, cost savings and environmental improvement. All too often, we have found that we are waiting for our infrastructure to fall apart as a catalyst for new construction, new urbanism. We cannot afford to look backwards to invent our future or simply rehabilitate and mitigate developmental impacts. Reinventing an environmental and socially responsible infrastructure first requires acknowledging it is in all of our backyards. Not simply sewers, bridges tunnels and roads, waste management stations or power plants, infrastructure includes greenways, schools, hospitals and parks.

Save Time and Money: Turn obstacles into opportunities by streamlining communication for decision making.

Pro-Active Environmental Agenda: Environmental innovation for human and natural habitat creation, adaptive reuse and building on existing assets.

Collaborative and Participatory Design: Teamwork with agencies, investors, design disciplines and neighbors as appropriate.

Holistic Problem Solving for elegant and sustainable urban infrastructure and development projects.

  • A matter of common sense, not added costs.
  • Every project, owner, operator and event has unique conditions on (and beyond) their site.
  • Urban Answers synthesizes disciplines and analyzes conditions to suit and exceed client expectations.
  • No vision but that of the client, immediate stakeholders and decision makers are imposed.
  • Considering geographic, infrastructure and land use implications beyond project boundaries is critical to developing a project's sense of place.

THE NEXT GENERATION OF PUBLIC WORK WILL

  1. Overcome stigmas.Transform a historically 'nimby' attitude (not in my back yard) into a 'wimby' attitude (where in my backyard?) Utilize all aspects of the media to engage the public.
  2. Engage appropriate disciplines. Identify and utilize a network of inner circle stakeholders and professional experts to guide the process.
  3. Address issues ‘beyond the site.’ Assessment of physical, ecological and social history helps make responsible physical and programmatic decisions. 

 

What does Urban Answers do?

Urban Answers works with clients and teams on issues beyond the building lines and site boundaries. Knitting projects into the fabric of their environment, capitalizing on physical and programatic inter-connections to make places that are unique, sustainable and most productive within their community.

Urbanism has been seminal to culture since the begining of recorded history. Globally, there is an understanding that architecture, engineering and landscape are disciplines that fit within a larger context of physical, social and economic relationships that make up cities. In North America, we have lost sight of this contextual vision of how elements of our built and natural environments can best support one another. Our task now is to make unique places out of what has turned into: 'Anywhere USA'.

Traffic Graphics

City planning, sustainability, transportation and emergency management can be overwhelming topics for the public as well as technical and political audiences. In closed door meetings or public forums, graphics can explain many of these technical issues and creative opportunities. An image allows a group of people to all agree on one tangible thing, from explaining data analysis to mapping a new vision Urban Answers uses visuals to communicate with clients and stakeholders.

Rehabilitation / Reinvention of Infrastructure Assets (Smart Capital Investments)

Instead of waiting for our infrastructure to fail, a proactive approach to reinventing the assets we have is critical. This goes beyond rehabilitation to creating environmental and socially responsible elements of the communities that our infrastructure serves. Infrastructure can no longer be seen as ‘not in our backyards’ it is everywhere and includes schools, hospitals and the sewer outfalls that keep residents from Los Angeles to Manhattan from swimming in our waters within 3 days of an average rain storm.

Balancing Density and Quality of Life (Transit Oriented Development)


Image: Times Square Alliance 

Especially as our population ages, tying our identities to single occupancy vehicles (cars) keeps our culture trapped in a suburban model of habitation and development. Transit must be built and perceived as a preferable alternative than a 2 car garage. This transformation is cultural for sure but must be promoted by affording people an alternative within walking distance from home. Even the elderly and infirmed must be able to rely on universal accessibility as a cornerstone of this transformation to transit oriented development. This requires attracting the public to density without sacrificing quality of life. 
 
Construction Choreography (Improving Customer Experience at Ground Breaking)

Especially for facilities that must maintain operations during reconstruction, construction staging must be seen as an urban design exercise in and of itself. In any public infrastructure project, from highways to schools, hospitals and transit, the intent is to make places that are more easily accessible and improve levels of service. This approach must be taken from the start of a project’s construction rather than simply as a goal for the final condition. This requires designing each stage of construction with the user in mind. Contractors tend to dominate the staging process for major projects to move materials most efficiently. In many cases, it is critical that levels of service are maintained or improved during construction and not as an afterthought. Chaos, lack of safety and inconvenience are most prevalent in major infrastructure projects, choreography of construction is required to ensure that the public maintain as good or better access to public facilities regardless of construction.