Closest Trail to Downtown Connecting Multi-Use Trails to New Hampshire Downtowns: Insights about the Built Environment through the Quantification of a Downtown Trails Matrix Samantha Powers, Dalrymple Fellow, Department of Recreation Management & Policy Shannon Rogers, Ph.D., UNH Cooperative Extension, Community & Economic Development Background Walkability Mapping Trail geography (Cont.) Many NH towns and cities have traditional downtowns at varying levels of economic vibrancy. Many of these towns and cities also have trails in close proximity to the downtowns. Trails are an important resource in NH because they provide a variety of social, economic, and health benefits for local communities. Multi-use trails may cater to community residents or serve as an attraction for visitors. There is opportunity within economic development and trail management to leverage the physical location of trails as it relates to the placement of businesses and downtown areas within the community with the overarching goal of economic stimulation. The purpose of this project was to examine definitions of “downtowns” and “trails” and to determine the elements most necessary for connecting trails with downtowns in the state of New Hampshire. The Community and Economic Development Department of UNH Cooperative Extension examined ten pilot towns in the Seacoast region. Each town met pre-qualifying conditions including having one or more mapped trails and having some type of defined downtown area. The extent to which an area is accessible by foot Accounts for amenities such as sidewalks, crosswalks, proximity of businesses, etc.3 Durham, NH: Traditional Downtown with Removed Trails Walker’s Paradise 90-100 Daily errands do not require a car Very Walkable 70-89 Most errands can be accomplished on foot Somewhat Walkable 50-69 Some errands can be accomplished on foot Mostly Car Dependent 25-49 Most errands require a car Car Dependent 0-24 Almost all errands require a car Defining Downtowns & Trails Raymond NH: Atypical Downtown with Internal Trail NH downtowns vary by feel, walkability, and economic vibrancy3,4,5 Within this study, downtowns were classified according to this spectrum Elements For success-Based on Literature1,2 Trail Geography Internal: Passes through main downtown/business area2 Adjacent: Passes through outskirts or edges of business district2 Removed: Up to 2 miles from downtown entrance2 External: Over 2 miles from downtown entrance Pilot Town Town Center Walk Score Downtown Type Closest Trail to Downtown Brentwood 23 Atypical Internal Dover 88 Traditional Durham 83 Removed Exeter External Farmington 45 Newmarket 73 Adjacent Portsmouth 92 Raymond 27 Rochester 70 Moderate Sandown 31 Downtown Trails Matrix Atypical Moderate Traditional Internal Sandown, Brentwood, Raymond Rochester Dover, Portsmouth Adjacent Newmarket Removed <2mi Farmington Durham External >2mi Exeter Mapping Trail geography Recommendations1,2,4,5 Newmarket, NH: Traditional Downtown with Adjacent Trail Internal: Walkable amenities including businesses that sell both soft services and hard goods, crosswalks, sidewalks, bike racks at trailhead and within town Adjacent: Signage at trailhead displaying distance (i.e. 2 blocks, 800 steps), walkable amenities similar to internal trails Removed: Signage at trailheads displaying distance to and amenities one can find downtown; parking in town or at businesses External: Signage and parking similar to removed trails; should be significant draw to get people downtown; at this distance, there often must be a significant business or cultural resource to draw visitors Central Downtown Central Downtown Assessing the built environment Data collection in 10 Seacoast Communities Walkability3,4 Trail Geography2 (GIS Mapping & Aerial Photography) Adjacent Trailhead & Park Adjacent Trailhead & Park 1Robertson, K. (2004) The Main Street approach to downtown development: an examination of the fourpoint program, Journal of Architectural and Planning Research, 21(1), pp. 55–73. 2Allegheny Trail Alliance, Trail Towns: Capturing Trail Based Tourism, A Guide for Communities in Pennsylvania 3Walkscore Methodology, Walkscore.com 4Marshall, J. D., Brauer, M., & Frank, L. D. (2009). Healthy neighborhoods: walkability and air pollution. Environmental health perspectives, 117(11), 1752. 5Porta, S. et al. (2012). Street Centrality and the Location of Economic Activities in Barcelona. Urban Studies. 49. 1471-1488.