April 21, 2026
The April Public Participation Task Force meeting showcased a variety of presentations geared towards the intersection of art and planning and included an interactive collage art activity based on DVRPC’s Long-Range Plan.
On April 9, 2026, DVRPC’s Public Participation Task Force (PPTF) hosted a hybrid meeting on “The Art of Planning,” offering an interactive in-person session to explore how creative approaches guide projects and communicate planning visions to the public. The meeting featured presentations from DVRPC staff who have collaborated with artists or who are artists themselves, as well as guest speakers who incorporate creative practices into their work. The meeting content was paired with an art gallery that showcased a variety of art pieces by DVRPC staff.
Chris Pollard, manager of the Office of GIS, kicked off the DVRPC duo of five-minute micro-presentations with “Cartography: The Art and Science of Mapmaking.” Pollard explained how cartography can help communicate location, complex data, and change over time through the use of visual elements and design. In addition to sharing his work on DVRPC’s Regional Vision Zero Traffic Safety Concerns map, Pollard also presented examples of his own cartography artwork, which can be viewed in his portfolio.
Pollard was followed by Jen Farris, a transportation planner from DVRPC’s Office of Transit, Bicycle, and Pedestrian Planning (OTBP), who explained how art was incorporated into the planning of Our Streets: A Trenton Bike Plan for All and various traffic calming initiatives in Trenton, New Jersey. This included an ongoing partnership with ArtWorks Trenton to lead participatory art activities that involved creating visual street narrowing as a traffic-calming feature, along with student-selected, interactive hopscotch and “floor is lava” murals on sidewalks around McKnight Elementary School.
Next, Shira Walinsky of Mural Arts Philadelphia shared her approach to participatory arts, drawn from her experience as a muralist and her perspective as a professor at the University of Pennsylvania. One of the first transit-inspired projects she envisioned was an artistic bus wrap representing the stories of the 47 route bus riders. Walinsky was followed by PPTF member Abby Hastings, who shared how her experience within the PPTF allowed her to interact with art initiatives around Philadelphia. These informative presentations were followed by a panel discussion with DVRPC staff that focused on what future directions art can create in planning.
Finally, the conclusion of the meeting allowed attendees to engage in a collaborative, hands-on collage art activity, guided by the core elements of our Long-Range Plan (Plan). Participants were asked to use curated fodder to collage their collective, future vision of one of the five Plan elements: Transportation, Economy, Communities, Environment, and Infrastructure and Utilities. The activity exemplified DVRPC’s interest in integrating art into the planning process by visually showcasing the public’s understanding of the Plan’s vision and by allowing participants to integrate the technical aspects of the Plan into a tangible, creative product.
Acknowledgements:
The Public Participation Task Force would like to thank our presenters and panelists for sharing their experience and expertise: Lillian Drake, public participation planner in the Division of Operations, Communications, and Engagement (OCE); Chris Pollard, manager of the Office of GIS; Jen Farris, transportation planner, Office of Transit, Bicycle, and Pedestrian Planning (OTBP); Cassidy Boulan, AICP, associate manager, OTBP; Angela Rio, graphic design and print specialist, Creative Services; Shira Walinsky, Mural Arts Philadelphia; Abby Hastings, Public Participation Task Force member; Shoshana Akins, manager of Public Participation Planning, OCE; Cassidy Joyce, engagement planning intern, OCE; and Jen Guo, planning fellow, DVRPC.
