Identifying and Mapping Barriers and Facilitators to Urban Trail Use: A Qualitative Geographic Information Systems Study

Abstract

Introduction: Urban green spaces, including urban trails, have demonstrated health benefits to those who utilize these spaces. However, access and use of these spaces are impacted by many different individual and community-level factors. This dissertation examined barriers and facilitators to urban trail use within two neighborhoods along the Schuylkill Banks in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Methods: In each of the two neighborhoods, disorder audits were conducted. Freelisting was also conducted with those actively using the trail and among those encountered in the neighborhood. Finally, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) were used to create composite maps using secondary data representing terms identified during freelisting, providing a visualization of areas with varying facilitators to trail use.

Results: Neighborhood audits demonstrated substantially higher disorder in the blocks around one access point as compared to the other. Freelisting responses from 233 participants revealed the primary factors that facilitated trail use to be convenience and access. Infrequent users highlighted factors such as available transportation and parking, while frequent users emphasized the importance of access related issues, such as having a ramp at the access point entrance. Composite maps created with GIS showed that, areas closer to the trail points indicated greater ease of trail use, however, this ease of use was not consistent along the entire trail. Maps representing freelisting terms reported by infrequent users showed that areas with more facilitators were scattered, with each high facilitator segment covering a small geographical area.

Conclusion: Organizational stakeholders can use results from this dissertation to begin community discussions about trail use and access, especially in communities around the access points. Additionally, maps derived from this dissertation can be used for identification and prioritization of communities with limited facilitators to trail use. Ultimately, this methodology has the potential to impact practice and policy, locally in Philadelphia and more broadly, and improve the planning and implementation of future urban trails.