Honk Honk! Beep Beep! Public Art in Transportation: Integrating Public Art into Oregon Department of Transportation Highway Projects

Abstract

Integrating public art into highway transportation projects is important because commuters’ quality of life can be enhanced through attractive daily drives, tourists enjoy pleasant aesthetics in all aspects of an environment when visiting a location, and communities gain a sense of pride and place through their public art. It appears that the Oregon Department of Transportation is not taking advantage of opportunities to integrate public art into highway projects, but rather has focused on mass transit systems, scenic byways and rural areas. Therefore; it is often perceived that there are no highway transportation projects that contain public art. This study explores public art policy and transportation policy to develop recommendations for integrating public art into Oregon Department of Transportation highway projects. The methods used for conducting this research included literature reviews, a comparative case study through the use of surveys, and interviews with key political leaders and transportation officials in the state of Oregon.