Alta Planning + Design

Alta Receives Philanthropy Attention Grant

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 10:10:00 -0800

Alta received an attention grant from WorldChanging.com along with the Portland Department of Transportation and BikePortland.org for our involvement in Portland, Oregon's shift to sustainable transportation. The article discusses Portland's continued adoption of the bicycle as a primary means to getting around- recently achieving a 3.5% mode split, far and above United States' national average. The article also touches on Portland's bicycle industry and bike related business growth, a figure Alta reported in our 2008 Oregon Bicycle Related Business Study. Read the full article here, part of WordChanging's Attention to Philanthropy 2009 series.

Safe Routes to School National Conference

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 13:35:00 -0800

6/30/09 - The 2009 National Safe Routes to School Conference will be held in Portland, Oregon August 19-21st. Alta is a sponsor of the event and we're happy to help bring communities from across the country (and around the globe) together to learn how SR2S programs across the country are changing the habits of an entire generation of schoolchildren and putting thousands of families two steps ahead of health and environmental concerns. You can learn all about the Safe Routes to School Movement and programs on the conference website at saferoutesconference.org and while you're there learn about registering for the conference!

Find out more about Alta's experience with Safe Routes programs on our Safe Routes to School page.

Bicycling in Clark County, WA

Wed, 06 May 2009 18:36:00 -0800

The Vancouver Voice ran this story about bicycling in Clark County, Washington. The county is working Alta to develop a Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan for the area encompassing the Vancouver and surrounding communities to promote active urban transportation as well as rural areas for recreational cycling. The county's goals include making Clark County a bicycle tourism destination. According to the article: "biking in Clark County is: healthy, active, enviro-friendly, communal and cost-effective. Perhaps most important, however, is what a well-known biking infrastructure can bring in: money." Read the full article here.

Mia's City Club Presentation - "All About the Bike"

Sat, 02 May 2009 09:53:00 -0800

Mia Birk's presentation to the Portland City Club- part of their "All About the Bike" program on May 1st- is available for download. Click here to download the speech in print form or listen to the presentation- featuring Mia and several other key members of Portland's bicycle industry and popularity growth- by downloading the MP3 here.

Alta is Hiring: Marketing Manager

Wed, 29 Apr 2009 21:08:00 -0800

Visit our careers page for more information.

Alta is currently accepting resumes for a Marketing Manager who will work out of our Portland, OR office. We work on the local, national, and international levels. The Marketing manager is responsible for aiding the principals, staff, and remote offices in the development, coordination and execution of all company marketing efforts.

Responsibilities

Proposal Process:
- Develops and produces RFQ, RFP, RFI packages for all proposals
- Tracks all leads, proposals and deadlines
- Manages the company’s marketing Onvia guides: ensures appropriate leads/RFPs are assigned to necessary staff
- Coordinates between offices, professional staff, sub-consultants, and production staff
- Helps staff prepare for interviews – presentation development, rehearsals, leave behind packages, etc.
- Provide technical guidance to other team members on proposal procedures
- Assists with daily operation of the marketing group, ensuring smooth and efficient workflow
General marketing material: Ensures website & qualification sheets/brochures/materials represent the company well, are up to date and crisp
Conferences:
- Keeps the Alta booth up-to-date, recommends/organizes conference
  participation
- Prepares staff with brochures, cards, sign-in sheets, booth, presentation, etc.... follows-up after conferences with leads and contacts
Memberships: Tracks Alta’s professional memberships – ensures Alta is members of the right organizations and staff are actively involved
Monitors a variety of sources for potential work opportunities and maintains/tracks the Leads Database
Marketing visionary: researches new ways to market
Identifies “best-of” marketing material for company-wide reference
Prepare weekly reports for Principals detailing proposals and leads

Necessary Qualifications:

B.S. and/or Masters in Marketing or related field
Minimum of three years professional experience in a marketing role in the field of planning/design/engineering/or public sector
Must be an EXCELLENT writer with background in marketing - must know how to write advertising copy
Understands E-Marketing
Well developed participatory management and administrative skills
Well organized with strong analytical and reasoning abilities

Expectations:

Professional attitude with the ability to organize, prioritize, and work well under deadlines while maintaining a positive outlook.
Be a team player and practice team oriented problem solving
Willing to take on new tasks in a fast-paced environment
Demonstrate an excellent work ethic
Provide top-notch service to clients and co-workers
Support and embody the organizations' values, goals and operating principles

HOURS and WORKSPACE

Work in our newly renovated, historic office
Full time, professional workload of 40 hours per week, as well as any additional time necessary to complete your duties
8:00 a.m. to 5:00 pm. Flex hours available when needed

COMPENSATION and BENEFITS

Compensation: Depends on experience. Excellent benefits, flexible work schedules, and a fun, collaborative work environment with an extremely dedicated and skilled group of planners and designers.

Please, no phone calls. Please submit a cover letter, your resume, and 3 references, by May 13^thto: resumes+marketing@altaplanning.com

Visit our careers page for more information.

Alta's Recent Involvements

Mon, 27 Apr 2009 13:39:00 -0800

Alta is proud to be engaged with our local communities and efforts around the nation to promote active living an active transportation options. Here's what we've been up to lately:

The city of Grand Rapids, Michigan held their first annual Bike Summit this year expressing the city's commitment to developing bicycle facilities in an effort to be designated a Bicycle Friendly Community by the League of American Bicyclists. Detailed coverage of the summit is available on mediamouse.org including Senior Associate Ann Freiwald's discussion of best practices, the influence of bike culture, and the importance of safety in encouraging new riders.

Mia Birk will be discussing bicycles as an economic influence, an urban planning opportunity and a lifestyle at the first May City Club of Portland Friday Forum. She'll be joined by other members of Portland's bicycle industry including a number of local bicycle builders displaying their work. Full details are available here.

Efforts to promote mountain biking in Portland continues to find traction and a coalition of mountain bike advocates has recently formed. Learn more in bikeportland.org's article. Alta is pleased to be part of this effort by discovering opportunities for more mountain biking in and around the city. Learn more about our experience with Mountain Bike Parks and Tourism on our Parks, Green Spaces, and Great Places page.

Culver City, CA Initiative

Fri, 24 Apr 2009 13:58:00 -0800

Streetsblog LA features Culver City, CA's Bicycle & Pedestrian Initiative in their Bike Friendly Friday section. According to SBLA, "Culver City is working and planning to become the kind of bike-town that could rival Santa Monica for top spot on the Westside." Alta's Los Angeles office is working on the city's plan that includes coordination with the development of a light rail station and improved access to existing bike paths and infrastructure. The public input process has already begun and the community is encouraged to get involved at www.ccwalkbike.org

Bicycle and Pedestrian Friendly Easley

Fri, 24 Apr 2009 09:22:00 -0800

The Greenville News reports on Easley, South Carolina's "push to become more bicycle- and pedestrian-friendly" in this article. Alta was awarded the city's contract to develop a bicycle and pedestrian master plan for the community funded by an area transportation study. The plan reflects the City's desire to become a more fit and active community and is one of the City's first steps towards its goal of achieving Bicycle Friendly Community Status. It will involve an active community engagement process and is scheduled to be finished in early 2010. John Cock, Alta's new regional manager in the Southeastern United States will be leading this effort.

Green City Confidential symposium

Thu, 23 Apr 2009 13:07:00 -0800

Alta Principal Mia Birk was a panelist for Portland, Oregon's recent Green City Confidential symposium. The topics- based around improving Portland's sustainability- included livable metropolitan spaces, green transportation, development, and commerce. Mia's view is that while Portland has come a long way to becoming one of the country's most bicycle friendly cities, it has a long way to go in comparison to European cities like Copenhagen. See the Portland Daily Journal of Commerce's coverage of the panel here and learn more about Mia's recent experience with European bicycle infrastructure in our Cycle Tracks: Lessons Learned publication.

Gateway Green Gains Momentum

Tue, 14 Apr 2009 11:47:00 -0800

Portland's Gateway Green project- a vision to build a 35 acre park in East Portland including world class mountain biking and cyclocross facilities- received major backing recently. The Oregonian reports on the momentum building on the project and mentions the concept plan for the park developed by Alta's Chris Bernhardt.