Project Abstract

In the full spirit and intent of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the philosophy and principles of CSS, MnDOT's Visual Impact Assessment (VIA) process and Visual Quality Management (VQM) process have been developed to improve and streamline our project development process by trying to help reinforce and ensure that our transportation projects are developed and delivered in a timely and cost-effective manner (without costly delays and rework cycles) while meeting some critical measures of public works success: 1) community acceptance, 2) environmental compatibility, 3) performance functions and values , 4) financial feasibility, 5) constructability, maintainability & sustainability, 6) timeliness of delivery, and 7) commitment beyond the project to preserve the investments.

-- Excerpt from MnDOT Visual Quality Management Program Submission Form --

Overview

MnDOT's Visual Quality Management (VQM) program and process responds to and reinforces several of MnDOT's Context Sensitive Solutions (CSS) Principles that have been articulated in MnDOT policy since 2000 including: 1) Balance safety, mobility, community and environmental goals in all projects, 2) Involve the public and affected stakeholders early and continuously, 3) Address all modes of travel, 4) Use an interdisciplinary team tailored to project needs, 5) Apply flexibility inherent in design standards and guidelines, and 6) Incorporate visual quality considerations throughout project development.

MnDOT's VQM process relies upon interdisciplinary expertise, stakeholder and public involvement, and integration within the highway and transportation project development process in a systematic manner to help achieve context sensitive solutions while balancing stakeholder values and objectives in addressing visual quality concerns and opportunities. VQM enables self-discovery to help determine what people visually like and dislike about the visual effects that proposed transportation projects or corridor improvements may have upon the surroundings and to explore alternative design solutions and treatments that mitigate adverse impacts while creating opportunities to further enhance the project or corridor fit and relationship with the surrounding context. VQM supports and streamlines an improved highway project development process through a stakeholder informed and systematic process that not only explores, illustrates, and documents visual design choices but also determines, illustrates, and documents the visual design preferences and solutions that are to guide final design of the project or corridor. VQM not only addresses the visual design choices and preferences related to the obvious physical context but also the less tangible context of values, cultures, traditions, politics and expectations that all combine to create character and give meaning to people and places and what communities aspire to and that cannot be understood without an integrated and systematic process that relies upon meaningful interdisciplinary, stakeholder and public participation.

Visual Quality Management is led by transportation landscape architects and other multi-disciplinary transportation design specialists, who are trained in the visual arts and experienced in the technical aspects of highway and transportation design. MnDOT's VQM approach is practiced under the umbrella of MnDOT's Context Sensitive Solutions (CSS) philosophy, principles, and approach to design. As such, context-sensitivity, balance, innovation, design flexibility, practicality and early and continuous stakeholder involvement and other key strategies that have been identified by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) for effective decision-making, achieving environmental sensitivity and developing enduring safe and feasible solutions have been strategically built into the VQM process. Working together as a team with citizens, community leaders and other partners not only contributes to a richer understanding of the scope of a decision, problem or opportunity, but also creates greater efficiency in the project development process, in particular during early stages of project development when designers and communities, working together, can have the greatest impact (often at the lowest cost) on the final design features of the project. Paying close attention to visual quality also strengthens prospects for public acceptance and respecting commitments beyond the project that preserve the investments in aesthetic design.

Mn/DOT’s approach to integrating VQM within the transportation project development process is clearly unique and tailored to each specific project or corridor in question. Aesthetic qualities of design (proportion, harmony, balance, contrast, scale, etc), which arise from the relationships of corridor design elements (15 or more typical elements including: road surfaces and alignment, bridges, retaining walls, noise barriers, grading, signing, lighting, fencing, landscaping, pedestrian and bicycle facilities, transit facilities, storm water management, historic or cultural properties, visual cueing, etc.) are systematically explored and considered in accordance with accepted principles of art and science and the context of the project or corridor. The surrounding context and ideas and preferences among the stakeholders and public guide development of the visual design concept, visual design alternatives, and ultimate design preferences (in the form of a project or corridor specific Visual Quality Design Manual) to help ensure that final design and development of projects and corridors is in harmony with the surrounding people and place and that elements of the project are in harmony with each other. MnDOT's application of VQM helps to further ensure that projects meet some critical measures of public works success: 1) community acceptance, 2) environmental compatibility, 3) performance functions and values , 4) financial feasibility, 5) constructability, maintainability & sustainability, 6) timeliness of delivery, and 7) commitments beyond the project to preserve the investments.

CSS Qualities: Process

In support of CSS and in an over-simplified nutshell, MnDOT's Visual Quality Management Process entails:

1. Early involvement of a lead transportation professional and facilitator with expertise in visual quality design and management
2. Early involvement of an interdisciplinary team and stakeholder and public review committee tailored to the project or corridor needs
3. Shared visioning and focus on collaborative self-discovery to understand values and what stakeholders and communities aspire to
4. Comprehensive visual impact assessment and aesthetic design exploration across the 15 or more typical corridor design elements
5. Integrating values and design preferences with feasible design alternatives and consensus decisions and recommendations
6. Using 2D, 3D & 4D visualization techniques and modeling as needed to support effective analysis and decision-making
7. Building trust and alliance relationships to foster effective decision-making and value-added partnership opportunities
8. Addressing cost participation, constructability, maintainability and sustainability opportunities and constraints
9. Addressing commitment beyond the project to help ensure preservation of the investments
10. Corridor or project specific VQM manuals serve as the final product that describes and illustrates the visual design decisions, recommendations, and final design guidance for all key elements of the transportation corridor or project

CSS Qualities: Outcomes

1. Minimized impact to human and natural environment
2. Improved safety (vehicles, pedestrians, and bikes)
3. Improved community satisfaction
4. Improved quality of life for community
5. Improved speed management
6. Design features appropriate to context
7. Improved opportunities for economic development

Click here to view the Visual Quality Manual

   MnDOT Visual Quality Management Program Submission Form