Village of Lindenhurst, NY Downtown Walkability Study & Plan

GPI prioritized community engagement right from the beginning of the study development. We organized several community meetings and awareness-raising events, conducted a community survey, and carried out six “LindenWalks” – walk audits that involved local decision-makers, the business community, and the wider public.

These walks also included nighttime sessions with a focus on safety. Additionally, GPI developed a study website, a powerful tool for engaging the public. Using GIS technology, the website allowed community members to pinpoint their input on an online map to exact locations within the Village. The website also included a video animation of GPI’s preliminary design suggestions, such as extending the Village Square, installing curb bulb-outs, and creating safe pedestrian islands.

Technical plans and design concepts can be challenging to communicate to stakeholders. The website was crucial in providing visualized and easy-to-understand information. Proving that “seeing is believing,” GPI employed state-of-the-art 3-D visualization and ESRI web technologies to show the Lindenhurst community how walkability improvements would look when implemented.

The active involvement of the Lindenhurst community led to a significant increase in public support and excitement for walkability in the area. Within a few months of adopting the study recommendations, the Village managed to secure grant funding, which in turn facilitated the implementation of many of the recommendations made in the study. GPI has been recognized with multiple awards for engineering excellence, innovative technology implementation, and value to society.