Trail advocates sometimes use the old mantra, “Build it and they will come,” to describe the immediate success of new trails. But complexities of the built and social environments in urban areas present factors that may affect trail use and require programmatic interventions to encourage use once the trail is constructed. Research indicates that strategies […]

Studies have shown that trails themselves do not generate crime. However in many urban areas, crime and safety are serious, pervasive issues, and even the perception of trail safety may influence trail use. Addressing concerns about crime and violence is particularly important in low-income urban communities where residents, especially children and women, may not be […]

Urban Pathways Initiative (UPI) is a program of the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy that advocates for equitable investment in vulnerable communities to promote the health, transportation and environmental benefits of trail use. UPI provides community-based assistance to groups and municipal agencies which promote or develop pathways intersecting low-income communities. Through case studies in Memphis, TN, Houston, TX, Compton, CA, and New Orleans, LA, this […]

Urban Pathways Initiative (UPI) is a program of the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy that advocates for equitable investment in vulnerable communities to promote the health, transportation and environmental benefits of trail use. UPI provides community-based assistance to groups and municipal agencies which promote or develop pathways intersecting low-income communities. Through case studies in Chicago, IL, Washington, DC, Richmond, CA, and Cleveland, OH, this fact […]

This primer explores the benefits of Rails-to-Trails Conservancy’s Urban Pathways Initiative (UPI), a program that advocates for equitable investment in vulnerable communities to promote the health, transportation and environmental benefits of trail use. UPI provides community-based assistance to groups and municipal agencies which promote or develop pathways intersecting low-income communities. This report shares lessons learned from UPI and focuses on strategies to encourage […]