Winner: Lottie Davies - Graduate Transport Planner, Stantec

You are here - simplifying wayfinding solutions to improve user experience

Navigating environments with conflicting directional signs can be incredibly frustrating. Despite the rise of various technological solutions, Lottie argues that effective wayfinding tools should emphasise simplicity and accessibility. As project budgets become tighter, it's essential to explore cost-effective strategies for integrating wayfinding materials into design schemes.

In her presentation, Lottie walks through a contemporary wayfinding challenge and propose a viable solution. Many wayfinding issues stem from a lack of cohesion and insufficient understanding of the users' needs. She showcases that, with the right techniques, wayfinding can be an integral aspect of project development rather than a last-minute addition.

Drawing from her experiences with confusing and outdated wayfinding systems, Lottie demonstrates how removing these barriers can enhance operational efficiency, cultivate a sense of place, and deliver significant cost benefits. Ultimately, effective wayfinding is not just beneficial but essential for improving user experience and project outcomes.

Finalist: Greg Neil - Assistant Transportation Planning Officer, Devon County Council

Reflecting on Five Years of Active Travel Funding: Challenges, Opportunities, and Future Direction

The last 5 years have witnessed significant fluctuations in the national political, social and economic landscape. In Summer 2024 research was conducted asking individuals working in the transportation planning to reflect on delivering active travel schemes during this period from the introduction of the emergency active travel fund during the Covid-19 Pandemic through to the inauguration of the current administration.

This underlined the key opportunities and challenges of scheme delivery processes from inception to implementation. Experiences shared helped to develop a series of recommendations that if applied would be valuable in supporting the improvement of the bidding and delivery processes of active travel interventions. Since this research was carried out, the current government has revealed more about their transport policy. This has provided the opportunity to look back on the recommendations produced and explore how closely recent government actions align with the priorities of transportation planning sector. 

Finalist: Charlie Brown - Assistant Research, Devon County Council

The balance of art and science in measuring walkability

As humans, we’ve been walking for a while. Most people nowadays know how walking and wheeling benefit physical and mental health. Yet between the gradient of the path and the width of the path, who or what decides which is more important in defining whether you walk upon it or not? Deciding how certain walking schemes are prioritised and financed over others ought to be founded on a scientific and statistical approach. It’s on this logic that I aim to explore how walkability is measured.

Charlie's presentation delves into various quantitative methods, the theoretical framework of walkability, and data limitations in measuring walkability. It also addressed subjective aspects, such as aesthetic appeal and cultural factors, and discusses balancing functional requirements with these elements. Ultimately, the goal is to ensure that everyone, regardless of their level of mobility, can enjoy the benefits of walking in a safe and accessible environment.

Lauren Allington - CIHT South West EPG Co-Chair

Lauren is a Transportation Planning Officer at Devon County Council, joining the team in 2021 as a graduate. She works on a range of highways, active travel and multi-modal schemes across the county, and has supported the publication of the new Local Transport Plan. She has completed an MSc in Transportation Planning and Engineering with the University of Southampton and became co-chair of the CIHT South West EPG in May 2024. She was awarded CIHT Emerging Professional of the Year in 2025.  

Lydia Hyde - CIHT South West EPG Co-Chair

Lydia is a Principal Transport Planner at Pegasus Group, based in Bristol. With around four years experience, she has worked on a variety of schemes in a range of sectors. To Lydia, transport planning is about problem-solving to get the optimum solution.

Chelsea Randall – CIHT South West EPG Recruitment Officer

Chelsea joined Devon County Council as a Graduate Transport Planner in 2020 and has since worked on road and active travel schemes, covering strategy and policy as well as scheme development and delivery. She has been involved with the Emerging Professionals Group since 2024, and received Highly Commended in the ‘Emerging Professional Presentation Competition’ in the same year. She joined the CIHT South West committee in 2025, taking on the role of Secretary and also acts as Recruitment Officer on the EPG committee.

Lottie Davies – CIHT South West EPG Recruitment Officer

Lottie is a graduate Transport Planner at Stantec, based in Taunton. Having joined the industry in September 2024, Lottie has worked on a number of active travel and solar farm schemes, as well as having worked on water projects throughout their consultation periods. Having won the Emerging Professional Presentation Competition in 2025, Lottie has taken her proposal of accessible wayfinding tools and has been developing prototypes to make her idea a reality. Lottie looks forward to her outreach role within the EPG committee and hopes to draw in both degree level, and professional members.

Tom Lewis - CIHT South West EPG Educational Events Officer

Tom is a Graduate Transport Planner at Arup, with whom he has been with since the beginning of 2024. Tom has worked on a range of projects spanning regeneration masterplans, active travel corridors, and liveable neighbourhood schemes. Tom's role within the CIHT Southwest EPG, which he assumed in July 2024, is to organise and coordinate educational events for emerging professionals across the region to attend. 

Greg Neil - CIHT South West EPG Educational Events Officer

Greg joined Devon County Council as a graduate in September 2022 after completing a BSc in Geography and Planning at Cardiff University. He has since progressed to Assistant Transportation Planning Officer, being involved in strategy development including LCWIPs and Devon’s EV Charging Strategy. As well as delivering infrastructure for a variety of modes including active travel, highways and public transport. Alongside his job, Greg has recently completed an MSc in Transport Planning and Engineering at Southampton University, having graduated in Winter 2024.

Chris Huxtable – CIHT South West EPG Events Officer 

Chris is an assistant Transport Modeller based in WSP's Exeter office. He has worked on strategic and microsimuation models at local and national scales since 2022. Chris is currently completing an MSc in Transportation Planning and Engineering at the University of Southampton.