Physical Projects

This toolkit helps communities put an economic value to amenities such as rivers, trails and greenway corridors.

This article identifies eleven steps that can be taken to transform public spaces into vibrant community places.

This site provides current news and best practices in urban parks across the country.

Trails and greenways have economic, as well as recreational and health benefits. Both stimulate tourism and recreation-related spending, and have positive impacts on quality of life. This report identifies the numerous economic benefits of trails and greenways in the US.

Besides its economic benefits, trails can contribute to improved health. This fact sheet identifies the ways in which using trails for exercise can improve one's physical health.

A collection of tools to help guide participatory planning tools.

This website provides community advocates and professionals with tools they can use to evaluate the quality of area roads for active transportation.

The purpose of the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC) is to enrich America's communities and countrysides by creating a nationwide network of public trails from former rail lines and connecting corridors.

This manual identifies the dilemma faced by public agencies and private organizations interested in acquiring abandoned or unused railroad corridors for conversion to trails or greenways and offers solutions. The book is based on the experiences of hundreds of rail-trail projects that have been successfully completed and is designed to help readers get to the negotiating table, and then, to successfully negotiate a winning deal for their community.

A resource serving as a roadmap for states and communities that have recognized the need for smart growth, but are unclear on how to achieve it. The document provides ten policy options to achieve each of the ten Smart Growth principles endorsed by the Smart Growth Network.