A sparsely populated Canadian territory is beating out big-city interactives with a public-engagement plan combining the best of high and low te
The Yukon Territory, one of Canada's most desolate territories, may have the answer. The territory is aiming to renovate 25 miles of the Whitehorse Corridor-Alaska Highway. The throughway is vital to the region's mobility. It shuttles commuters to and from Whitehorse, the capital and largest city (population 28,000). And it facilitates cross-border trade between Canada and Alaska. It's a sparsely populated, largely forested region. Still, the city of Whitehorse has grown over the past decade and is projected to nearly double in size. With this in mind, the Yukon government wants to make some ambitious upgrades to its crucial highway.
The proposal recommends expanding the width of a stretch of the highway to include a passing lane, constructing a parallel pedestrian trail, consolidating entry and exit ramps, and improving intersections. The total cost is estimated at about $200 million spent over two decades.
No, this is not big-city infrastructure. The Yukon territory represents the polar opposite of urban density: 34,000 residents sprawled across an area larger than California. But large cities should take a tip from the sophisticated public-engagment campaign for the proposal that Yukon rolled out on Monday; it's an excellent example of what cities pursuing extensive infrastructure projects should do to get their public on board. The campaign is four-pronged, featuring an interactive map of the highway proposal, a video series showcasing the renovation, a public survey to gauge public reaction to the proposal, and a home-delivered brochure.