Presenter Dan Burton urges Missoula to prioritize walkable, mixed‑use streets to boost safety and local business

Dan Burton, a visiting presenter and community design consultant, outlined design and policy steps Missoula could use to make streets safer, more walkable and more economically vibrant during a public workshop in Missoula. Burton, who said he has visited more than 600 cities, presented a condensed version of a full-day charrette and a two‑to‑two‑and‑a‑half‑hour workshop he runs for communities.

Burton told the audience that places succeed when residents return to the same public spaces multiple times per day and singled out lower traffic speeds and continuous sidewalks/greenways as top priorities. "If we were to do a poll ... the number 1 decision always is low traffic speeds," he said. He added, "Trails, greenways, sidewalks are the number 2 choice for buying the neighborhood." Burton also emphasized the role of sidewalks, benches and lighting in allowing older adults and people with disabilities to participate in public life.

Burton offered concrete engineering and land‑use examples drawn from projects around the U.S. and abroad to illustrate what he called “livability”: narrower block patterns, shorter blocks, medians or raised…