A bike trail can be much more than a bike trail.
Tony Marrero commemorates the 25th anniversary of the Pinellas Trail—a 47-mile bike trail serving about 75,000 cyclists, walkers and joggers each month in the St. Petersburg area of Florida.
"Credited with boosting the county's economy, the trail connects disparate neighborhoods and has revived downtowns in Dunedin and Tarpon Springs. As one of the country's early "rails to trails" projects, its popularity has inspired hundreds of similar projects across the nation," writes Marrero.
The article includes more about the tragic events that led to the creation of the bike trail on the former tracks of the Atlantic Coast railroad line. A monorail was also once considered for the route. Also detailed are some of the success stories that have sprouted along the trail's route. Exhibit A is Dunedin: "the poster child for how the trail and the community can benefit from each other," according to one source quoted in the article.
FULL STORY: After 25 years, Pinellas Trail continues to grow in size and relevance
Revealed: A Plan to Build a Continuous Bike Trail Across the United States
Motorists have been able to drive across the country for more than a century. People on bikes will get their day soon, too.
Details on Cincinnati's Ambitious Wasson Way Bike Trail Proposal
There's still a long way to go to get to the finish line on the conversion of a rail corridor into a bike trail that could connect important parts of the city, but Cincinnati is currently pulling lots of purse strings to make it happen.
New Bikeways Coming to Atlanta This Year
Several new bike projects in the Atlanta area are slated to begin construction this year.
What We Really Mean When We Say Gentrification
The focus on gentrifying communities has, in many cases, eclipsed the similar problems facing more stagnant neighborhoods.
Study: Market-Rate Development Filters Into Naturally Occurring Affordable Housing
New research sheds new light on one of the most hotly debated questions in planning and development.
The End of Single-Family Zoning in California
Despite a few high-profile failures, the California State Legislature has approved a steady drumbeat of pro-development reforms that loosen zoning restrictions. The state raised the stakes on its zoning reforms this week.
Elizabeth Peterson Group (EPG)
UrbanTrans North America
Houston Land Bank
Edtalkradio
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
American Planning Association
Hillsborough County Public Schools
City of Raleigh
City of Laramie, Wyoming and Albany County Wyoming
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This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Hand Drawing Master Plans
This course aims to provide an introduction into Urban Design Sketching focused on how to hand draw master plans using a mix of colored markers.
