Many people who live in cities only experience nature within their city. Urban natural areas are critical for human wellbeing, improving mental and physical health, and mitigating climate change impacts—highlighting the need for broad and equitable public access to forested natural areas. Addressing barriers to access should include:
- Physical access: natural areas should be physically accessible to residents. This means that there are trails and maps. It also means that people can get to natural areas from where they live.
- Social barriers: even if forested natural areas are physically accessible, residents may still not feel comfortable accessing these spaces for a host of reasons, including discomfort with being in a natural area, the perception of danger, or lack of awareness of the location of natural areas. Understanding who is accessing or not accessing these spaces and why is a significant step in increasing their use and public profile.
The following resources will assist you in creating urban nature trails and access to city residents.
Coming soon
Trails and Public Access Urban Forested natural Areas Roadmap
The Trails and Public Access roadmap seeks to increase equitable public access to forested natural areas for city residents.
Resources