The Texas Planning and Advisory Changemaker

WSP planning and advisory team leader Lauren Taylor navigates the intersection of multiple disciplines and stakeholder dynamics to solve complex challenges and situations for Texans.

United States | Friday, January 26, 2024
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As WSP’s planning and advisory team leader in the Lone Star State, Lauren Taylor addresses and impacts the nexus of public policy, urban planning, infrastructure, mobility, technology, equity and ecosystems.

With a population approaching 30 million residents and with the ninth largest economy in the world by gross domestic product, it is important that Texas uphold its history of resilience and adaptability during this growth.

Leading a team of nearly 30 professionals, Taylor, who was recently recognized among Engineering News-Record’s 2024 Top 20 Under 40 winners, is delivering on that objective through multi-faceted projects that ultimately aim to create a greater Texas now and tomorrow.

What inspires or motivates you in your career?

Honestly, boredom really helps me find new challenges.

In graduate school at Virginia Tech, natural resources professor Jim Engenrider challenged me to “just find the intersection” when I was unsure of what to pursue after school. Over the years, finding the intersections of complex problems has motivated my work.

Having worked with the Texas Department of Transportation throughout the state, Austin’s Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority, San Antonio’s VIA Metropolitan Transit Authority (VIA), the Alamo Area Metropolitan Planning Organization and many others, I love finding the “intersection” and understanding the connections between environmental science and how thoughtful planning practices can mesh with transportation planning or the built environment.

And the people, especially my team here in Texas, motivate me. Seeing their growth and how many individual contributors come together to create and to solve problems together continuously inspires me as a manager.

I also cannot forget to credit my parents. They both broke through glass ceilings and served as examples to me of what I need to do to be a good leader.

Lauren Taylor

Texas Planning and Advisory Services Lead

United States

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Lauren moderating a panel for the COMTO Statewide Forum.

What is the biggest challenge in your field?

In the planning world, there are just so many pieces. For instance, in transit planning you’ll need to include Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) planning; and within BRT planning, you will have to include roadway develop and where to site bus stops.

I think my broad background (I started my career in a Federal Emergency Management Agency call-center, but that’s another story) has allowed me to better understand how the environment intersects transportation and communities. Through the various perspectives of my team, we are able to create meaningful solutions with positive impacts from how the supporting pieces come together.

One of the biggest challenges in my field is structuring plans for implementation, and understanding that, in many ways, they are plans within plans, and looking at the data to decide what are the true priorities.

Through the various perspectives of my team, we are able to create meaningful solutions, with positive impacts, from how the supporting pieces come together.

What are some impactful projects you have been a part of?

San Antonio is an incredibly diverse community that needs multiple transportation options. For VIA’s Advanced Rapid Transit project, I helped the client through the environmental compliance process that will allow VIA to receive future federal funding.

Pulling sociodemographic information and pairing it with public engagement and public involvement has been very beneficial to the community as VIA plans new routes. It has been a truly fun process to see these pieces come together and work with these diverse neighborhoods.

Why do you enjoy working at WSP?

I have a great team. Over the past six years, we have grown this team from two to nearly 30 employees. They are smart and passionate about their work. Personally, the variety of projects at WSP pushes me to find new challenges and enjoyment.

I previously served on the executive committee of WSP’s Developing Professionals Network (DPN), comprised of emerging professionals within the company from every office nationwide and from across all business sectors. DPN allowed me to understand the inner workings of WSP and to recognize the national impact of our work.

Lauren pictured with Buster the VIA Buppet.

WSP creates Future Ready solutions that deliver lasting value in Texas now, and tomorrow. What are some solutions you are most passionate about?

Multimodal solutions are becoming more of a consideration in Texas and a more viable solution in smaller communities, not just metropolitan areas. Whether transit solutions or enhancing bicycle and pedestrian opportunities, more options are becoming available for people and cater to different needs, distances and preferences of Texans.

Being Future Ready®, I think, in part, is understanding what our limitations are now; and then, what our limitations could be tomorrow, and making sure that we’re creating plans for the future. Understanding the economics of what we are able to implement and prioritizing what we can implement is fundamental to Future Ready®.

Being Future Ready®, I think, in part, is understanding what our limitations are now; and then, what our limitations could be tomorrow, and making sure that we’re creating plans for the future.