BUILD.! SUSTAINABLE.! COMMUNITIES.!

COMMUNITY BUILDING
ECOLOGICAL RESTORATION
AND ! THROUGH !

URBAN CORE ! TRAIL SYSTEMS !

Acknowledgements!
Curt

Watkins Scott Capstack Chris DeLong Randy Moore Scott Burnett Kay Johnson Roanoke Park Trail Gnomes YOU! Thank you!
Im here thanks to ERTA and RPC $$$!

What this is all about !

BUILD. SUSTAINABLE. COMMUNITIES.

Community
Trail

Sustainability

development in urban core areas Reviving forgotten landscapes Connecting people

Nature Neighborhood Neighbors

TRAILS CONNECT!
Roanoke Park neighbors hard at work

BRETT SHOFFNER !

Earth Riders Trails Association & Roanoke Park Conservancy

Roanoke Park

Ecological Trail Steward

Kessler Park Trail Planner Swope Park Trail Crew

2000+ hours experience

Building, planning, and sustainable design of trails

Ozark Trail Mark Twain National Forest Ozark Trail Association

Trail Crew Leader Summer 2011 10 weeks

BRETT SHOFFNER !

University of Missouri Kansas City

Graduate Student

Urban Administration & Environmental Policy Sociology, minor Geography Environmental Studies, minor Spanish Advanced GIS Certificate

Bachelors of Arts

Research and Practical Interests

Ecological connectivity Environmental planning/policy Urban landscape restoration Green infrastructure design Social equity/environmental justice Sustainability theory

BRETT SHOFFNER !

Mid-America Regional Council

Environmental Planning Intern Water Quality and Green Infrastructure

Mountain Bike Racer & Race Promoter

Team Colavita/Parisi Coffee powered by Volker Bicycles

Ecological Planner with urban film + design Future Plans

Looking toward Kaw Point at Sunset

Master of Landscape Architecture PhD in Landscape Ecology Continue to increase access to trails in urban core areas Restore landscapes, revitalize neighborhoods, connect people.

Why all this!

BRETT SHOFFNER !
Love

of outdoors Enjoyment of physical labor and design Connection to place Personal relationships Commitment to Ecological Sustainability

Swope Park Trails

How all this happened!

BUILD. SUSTAINABLE. COMMUNITIES.

Swope

Park Trails Development & Gillham Park Restoration Park Master Plan and Redevelopment Park Conservancy

Hyde

Roanoke

Roanoke
Bush Honeysuckle at Roanoke

Whats Happening!
Neighborhood

Connections Landscape Restoration Historic Preservation Place Creation Community Sustainability

The Layover @ Roanoke Park

BUILD. ! SUSTAINABLE. ! COMMUNITIES.

Theoretical Framework !

BUILD. SUSTAINABLE. COMMUNITIES.

Going to work

Ecological

Democracy

Government

by people emphasizing direct, hands-on involvement. Actions guided by understanding natural processes and social relationships within locality and larger environmental context. Causes us to creatively reassess individual needs, happiness, and long-term community good. Changes the form cities take which creates a new urban ecology.

Earth Riders Trails Association (ERTA)!

Kansas
11

City Metro

trail systems 100+ miles 100% volunteer

Urban

Trails

Swope

Park Roanoke Park Kessler Park Future

Swope Park - Photo by Adrenaline Images

Blue

River Greenway

History of ERTA!

Earth Riders Trails Association (ERTA)!

Early

1990s Earth Riders Mountain Bike Club Forms capacity

First Edition of Earth Riders Newsletter January 1994 Courtesy of Neale Shour

Built As

users increased, need for:

Sustainable

trails Consistent voice

ERTA

forms in 2001

ERTA Core Values!

Earth Riders Trails Association (ERTA)!

Increase

quality and quantity of sustainable singletrack trails land

Protect

Increase
Working at Roanoke Park

number of public land users and Economy

Efficiency

ERTA Urban Trails!

Earth Riders Trails Association (ERTA)!

Swope
2007

Park

to

Blue

River Greenway
to

2009

Kessler
2012

Park
to

Roanoke
2011

Park
Draft Map of Blue River Greenway Trails

to 2013

Park Redevelopment!

Roanoke Park Project!

Master Effort

Plan adopted April 2011

Initiated in February 2010

Desire to enrich park and quality of life for surrounding neighborhoods

Resident Park

Survey June 2010

Design Charrette October 2010

Roanoke Park Project!

Partnership
Earth

Photo below (left-right): Scott Capstack, ERTA President Curt Watkins, Roanoke Park Conservancy President Forrest Decker, KCMO Parks and Recreation Natural Resources and Parks Manager

Riders Trails Association KCMO Parks and Recreation Roanoke Park Conservancy Neighborhoods
Volker Valentine Roanoke Coleman

Highlands

Trail Development Timeline!

Roanoke Park Project!

Completed!!!
Phase
Ongoing
Phase

1 Winter 2012 Devils Dip Phase 2 Spring 2012 The Layover Phase 3 Summer 2012 Bindle Byway

4 Fall 2012 Phase 5 Winter 2012 Phase 6 Spring 2012

Phase

6A Summer 2012

This phase may not be constructed.

Roanoke Park Project!

Invasive

Species Eradication & Reforestation Inventory Overlooks

Vegetative Coleman

Swale

Forest

Spring Fen Restoration

Scenic

Sidewalks/curbs
PIAC

Improvements

Kessler Park Project Cliff Drive!

Neighborhood Out

Resident Initiated

of Swope and Roanoke Projects Walkthrough of Area August 2012 of existing Indian Mound Trail

Initial

Rehabilitation Goal:

Usable, sustainable trail by Spring 2013

Benefits of Urban Trail Development!

Community
Economic Social Environmental

Sustainability

Connectivity
Neighbors,

Neighborhood, Nature

Landscape Historic Place!

Restoration

Preservation

not just space

For more information visit!

roanokeparkkc.org earthriders.org Facebook

and earthriders.com

Roanoke Park Trails Roanoke Park Conservancy Earth Riders Trails Association Earthriders Mountain Bike Club

urbanfilmanddesign.org

Brett Shoffner bscm8@umkc.edu

BUILD.! SUSTAINABLE.! COMMUNITIES.! ! ! !

THANK YOU!!