A Search For Creative Class Trail User Experiences Along The Katy Trail

Abstract

This research focused on preferred urban trail attributes and related these to restorative places and user experiences. Focused interviews were employed in the study. Restoration was shown in aspects of naturalness and excitement. Responses to the interviews indicated that a convergence of multiple physical features contributed significantly to a user's restorative experience on the trail, especially where tree canopy was juxtaposed with distant views and there were connections to active urban villages. Where the trail did not enhance the user experience the trail was not seen as contributing to the community in a significant way. Themes emerged from the focused interviews regarding naturalness, sociability, distinctiveness, safety, and a fitness-driven lifestyle. The Katy Trail, a four-mile urban pedestrian and bicycle trail in Dallas, Texas, served as a laboratory for the study. This study broadens knowledge of the quality of restive experiences found on an urban trail.