Bloomingdale Trail/606 Park and Trail System Evaluation
Bloomingdale Trail
In June 2015, the 606 Park and Trail System opened in northwest Chicago after many years of community planning and a $95 million investment. It features four parks and the 2.7-mile, multi-use Bloomingdale Trail that connects four Chicago neighborhoods: Humboldt Park, Bucktown, Wicker Park, and Logan Square. That summer we began a study to evaluate the impact of the Bloomingdale Trail. Our goal was to understand who was using the trail, how they were using the trail, and what they thought about it. Our study involved observations of trail users, “intercept” surveys of trail users, and observations of characteristics of the trail, parks, and surrounding streets. Data were collected in the summers of 2015 and 2016. We’ve shared results with many local groups: Friends of the Parks, Active Transportation Alliance, Mayor’s Pedestrian Advisory Council, Friends of the Bloomingdale Trail, Metropolitan Planning Commission, and Little Village Environmental Justice Organization.
Presentations and Publications Heading link
Kraft A, Zenk SN, Tarlov E, & Nunez J. (2017) Assessing the disparate impact of new green spaces on diverse urban communities. Society for Community Research and Action. Ottawa, Ontario, Canada (Poster)
Kraft AN, Nunez J, Tarlov E, Slater S, & Zenk SN (2018). Racial/ethnic and educational differences in perceptions and use of a new urban trail. Ethnicity & Health, 1-16.
Tiwari S, Zenk SN, Kraft A, Nakandakari S, & Magalhaes P. (2016). Racial/ethnic similarities and differences in use and perceptions of Chicago’s new 606 trail. Midwest Nursing Research Society, Milwaukee, WI (Poster)
Zenk SN, Tiwari S, Slater S, Lange M, Duran AC, & Tarlov E. (2015). Early adoption and perceptions of Chicago’s new 606 park and trail system. American Public Health Association, Chicago, IL (Late Breaker Poster)