Spring Semester 2026 6-Credit Applied Studio Course

Redefining "Normal" on Deadly Roadways: Innovative Tactical Response to Urban Traffic Fatalities

Most of us have either been directly affected, or personally know someone who has been injured or killed in a traffic crash. It’s such a regular part of American life that we hardly react when it happens to someone else: it’s in fact one of the top causes of death for Americans, at all stages of life. This is not an inevitable state of affairs; it’s a systemic problem with los of underlying contributing factors. This studio focuses on one certain path toward harm reduction: reducing the kinetic energy in traffic incidents, thereby reducing injuries and saving lives. The Emergency Streets approach teaches that immediate, low-cost, mobile tactical infrastructure can achieve this harm reduction; together with colleagues from other cities, we intend to make it a reality on the streets of Spokane, WA. Students from a variety of disciplines will contribute their unique skill sets and perspectives to achieve a practical, quickly deployable “kit” of messaging materials, how-to guides, and innovative mobile traffic control materials to realize the vision and promise of Emergency Streets, right now. Rather than wait years for improvement, this studio opens the door to effective innovation and action to address one of the most pressing public health crises hiding in plain sight.

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Both Kevin and Tila will be administering this course—working with an external partner (Spokane, WA)—and it is being offered as part of the Office for Public and Community-Engaged Scholarship, developed with the U of A Experiential Learning Design Accelerator Program.

We are open to all majors and all interests across campus, including grad-students (as this course will provide grad credit).

Student Project Topics Will Likely Include:

Media Kit & Communication: How local press should cover post-fatal response and treatment

Virtual Reality: Using Unity to visualize safer streets and public perception

Protocol Design: Drafting the step-by-step playbook for city response

Crash Investigation Tools: Crafting five key questions for first-responders

Policy Response: Articulating how previously “unthinkable” policies have increased impact

Impact Assessment: Measuring the effect of interventions and speed reduction treatments.

Kit Design + Deployment: Creating temporary traffic control setups (cones, barrels, signage) to deploy after crashes

3D Modeling: Visualizing new treatment environments

Network Modeling: Integrating Emergency Streets into existing traffic systems, understanding the impact of delay times