Bridging Health and Mobility as Leaders in Public Health and Community Planning Integration

Our Story

America is battling numerous health issues ranging from social isolation to physical inactivity. Planning has played a role in this reality as communities and the profession have strayed from its primary purpose-to ensure all of us live a long, healthy, and fulfilling life. With a strong background in urban development and a keen awareness of the growing need to integrate health into urban design, Chris Danley founded Vitruvian Planning in January 2011 to answer the bell. Driven by a passion for community wellbeing, Vitruvian was launched with a clear mission: to promote healthier, more active communities across the U.S. by embedding health as a core principle in community planning and design.

From inception, Vitruvian Planning has led this movement by changing the paradigm and improving the process. Methods like the Activity Connection Plan focus on getting people active by addressing street infrastructure and improving recreational outlets. Training approaches like the Looking Glass Academy don’t just tell people who to be more walkable and bikeable but build the capacity of professionals and residents to audit conditions for themselves and usher in positive changes. Vitruvian Planning had led by authoring Health Impact Assessments, university safety campus audits, housing assessments, and community-wide conditions audits.

But we weren’t done. In 2018, Vitruvian Planning got stronger by adding a national ADA, bicycling, transit, and built environment expert, Don Kostelec. For 25+ years, Don has been a fierce professional for fair and accessible communities and earned a place as one of the nation’s pre-eminent disability advocates. His work in policy development, trails and pathway plans, and rural community planning initiatives have strengthened our company and broadened our reach.

Year after year, Vitruvian Planning continues to lead the way with fresh ideas, impactful training, and strategic assessments, demonstrating an unwavering commitment to integrating health into the fabric of community development nationwide.

Our Services

Planning

Assessment & Evaluation

Active Transportation Plans

Wayfinding Plans

ADA Transition Plans

Downtown and Subarea Plans

Parks, Recreation, and Open Spaces (PROS) Plans

Assessment & Evaluation

Corridor and Main Streets

Park and Recreational Spaces

ADA Self-Evaluation and Compliance Review

Housing and Code Evaluations

Community Health Conditions

Campus Safety Assessments

Built Environment Policy

Vision Zero and Complete Streets

Age-Friendly Communities

Training

Assessment & Evaluation

Training

Pedestrian Walkability Training

Bikability Training

Health Impact Assessment (HIA) Training

Health and Planning Integration Training

ADA Evaluation Training

Who We Are

Chris Danley, Principal

Chris Danley is the founder of Vitruvian Planning. Having spent his youth in Southern California, he joined the US Navy and dedicated five years to Naval Aviation, traveling the world and engaging with diverse cultures and environments. Following his honorable discharge, Chris earned his bachelor’s degree in social sciences from Chapman University, and then attended Eastern Washington University, where he obtained a master’s degree in urban and regional planning. After graduating, Chris worked in both the public and private sectors before founding his own company, Vitruvian Planning, in 2011. This venture allowed Chris to merge his passion for healthy living with his profession as a transportation planner, enhancing community health through effective community planning and active transportation solutions. Chris is a recognized national expert in walkability and health impact assessments. He co-created the Looking Glass Walk Audit Training Academy, developed the Activity Connection Plan™, and Healthy Conditions Assessment models, and launched The Planning Commission podcast. Over his 20-year career, Chris has conducted planning and assessment projects throughout Idaho, North Carolina, Utah, Montana, California, and many other states. He is a certified Safe Routes to School and League of American Bicyclists instructor, a former Board President of the National Physical Activity Society, the current Boise Planning & Zoning Commissioner, a former personal trainer and coach, and, most importantly, a Dad to two young girls.

Smiling man with a mustache in a blue shirt outdoors on a sunny day.

Don Kostelec, Principal

Don Kostelec is a seasoned professional with 25+ years of experience in transportation planning, health analysis, and comprehensive planning. He is actively applying and researching Health Impact Assessments and integrated health and planning efforts through various projects across the United States. Don’s work spans from Alaska to Florida and California to New York, emphasizing the importance of active transportation in community planning.

His areas of expertise include the Americans with Disabilities Act, Transportation Policy & Finance, Health Impact Assessment, Active Transportation Design, Complete Streets, and Governance. Don has previously served on the Idaho Walk Bike Alliance Board of Directors, as well as the Board of Directors of Bike Walk NC. Additionally, he has contributed to the TRB Committee on Transportation Demand Management and the Eat Smart/Move More Leadership Team in North Carolina.

Recognized as a provocative speaker, Don helps communities engage more effectively with the design profession to promote equitable and safer street design, prioritizing the safety of people over the movement of cars. He frequently contributes to national podcasts and discussions on safe street design and walkability. Don holds a Master of Urban Planning & Policy from the University of Illinois at Chicago and a Bachelor of Science in Political Science and Journalism from Western Carolina University.

Our Story