The organization awarded 25 grants for projects that promote outdoor recreation and access to trail facilities for underserved communities.
According to a press release from the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, the organization has awarded $300,000 in grants to 25 non-profit groups working on building and improving the nation’s trails network and giving more communities access to outdoor recreation. The organization’s grant program has awarded over $2.6 million since its inception in 2008.
Liz Thorstensen, RTC’s vice president of trail development, said “These grants are intentional investments in the partners and people who are working on the ground—in their neighborhoods, states and across the country—to build community on trails, through programming and infrastructure that is inclusive and equitable.”
The grants are focused on improving trail access for underserved communities that often lack safe access to outdoor facilities. “The trail grants program also prioritized investment in projects and partners who are advancing trail development and community engagement in RTC’s flagship initiatives—TrailNation™ and the Great American Rail-Trail®.”
Public and Private Collaboration Advances Park Development in Houston
Houston may be known to some as a concrete jungle, but its greenspaces continue to expand thanks to combined support from the public, private, and philanthropic sectors.
Advocates Champion the Great Western Trail
A Chicago walking and biking trail along a former railroad right-of-way has been a labor of love for local residents.
Urban Golf Courses: Publicly Subsidized, Privately Enjoyed
City golf courses, paid for by public dollars, are rarely used by the vast majority of residents. Some advocates want to see them opened to the public as parks or repurposed for housing.
Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”
Study: Maui’s Plan to Convert Vacation Rentals to Long-Term Housing Could Cause Nearly $1 Billion Economic Loss
The plan would reduce visitor accommodation by 25% resulting in 1,900 jobs lost.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Wind Energy on the Rise Despite Federal Policy Reversal
The Trump administration is revoking federal support for renewable energy, but demand for new projects continues unabated.
Passengers Flock to Caltrain After Electrification
The new electric trains are running faster and more reliably, leading to strong ridership growth on the Bay Area rail system.
Texas Churches Rally Behind ‘Yes in God’s Back Yard’ Legislation
Religious leaders want the state to reduce zoning regulations to streamline leasing church-owned land to housing developers.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
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.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Caltrans
Smith Gee Studio
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service