Patrick Lawrence, University of Toledo, Department of Geography and Planning
Karen Gallagher, University of Toledo
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Abstract
In urban areas across the U.S. transportation infrastructure is being developed to increase support for non-motorized forms of travel such as walking and biking. Multi-use trails are one type of infrastructure that are separated from roads and provide an elongated path for non-motorized forms of travel. Multi-use trails can bring many benefits to local communities; namely social, economic, and environmental. However, they are often planned ad-hoc as part of a rails-to-trails project with little evidence- based consideration of maximizing benefits during the planning stage. This paper seeks to use secondary sources to determine if the variables of public health, land value, and decreased fragmentation can be used to create a conceptual model that can guide the planning and ex-ante valuation of multi-purpose trails in urban areas. If so, the conceptual model could be applied as a planning and justification tool for local governments hoping to add multi-use trails to their non-motorized transportation infrastructure network.
Conceptual Models for the Planning and Valuation of Multi-Use Urban Trails.
