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Cycling as Recreation and Transportation in Knoxville Tennessee’s “Urban Wilderness”.

Knoxville City Council approves nearly $2.7 million for second phase of Urban Wilderness Gateway Park | wbir.com

Knoxville leaders celebrate finishing first phase of Urban Wilderness Gateway Park with ribbon-cutting ceremony | wbir.com

I chose this article because it shows what I believe is one of the best ways to integrate biking into cities that do not have well developed infrastructure for biking.

Knoxville and most of East Tennessee is known for its scenic landscapes, rolling hills, the Great Smoky Mountains, and generally beautiful natural areas. People come from all over the country to experience the natural beauty of East Tennessee, but they don’t want to simply drive through the scenery, they want to get out and actually experience it. They want to get out of their vehicles and have the wind in their faces as they bike down the winding, beautiful trails that cut in and out of the hills that range from soft, long slopes that anyone of any experience level can enjoy, like the Ijams Nature Park, to the more technical and intense biking experiences that the mountains can offer, such as the infamous “The Dragon”.

I am sure this has come off as an advertisement for tourism in East Tennessee and that is actually intentional! I think that one of the best ways to increase people’s interest in activates (like biking) that have positive impacts on the cities they live in is to present them in such a way that the positive activates become so appealing that people desire to do them more than any alternative activities that have more negative impacts.

In Knoxville’s “Urban Wilderness” project, they connected neighborhoods to the park along with connecting them to the greenways systems in Knoxville that make up about 113 miles of trails. This seems like a fantastic way to connect people with the idea that maybe one day, we could have a network of greenways that are safe and inclusive for cyclists and walkers to get from their homes to the heart of the city without ever having to enter a car. I am very happy to see that my hometown is investing so much money into creating infrastructure that blends natural areas with neighborhoods within the city.

 

Sources and Resources.

Greenways & Trails – City of Knoxville (knoxvilletn.gov)

2013_Bicycling 101_Brochure 4_Getting There by Bicycle_FINAL.indd (ibikeknx.com)

USA Cycling | Pro Road National Championship in Knoxville, TN (visitknoxville.com)