Boston's Walking City Trail: Fall 2024 Projects

Miles Howard is organizing this fundraiser.

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A literal grassroots endeavor launched in 2022 with a budget of zero and a small band of trail builders, Boston's Walking City Trail is a 27-mile urban walking trail that runs through over 30 public parks, forests, and green spaces in 17 Boston neighborhoods!

Since the beginning, interest in guided hikes along the "WCT" has grown with each season, and in order to make it easier for the public to experience the trail and all its charms, Miles Howard (founder and lead organizer of the trail) is currently overseeing three fall projects that will enhance the visibility and accessibility of the Walking City Trail for Boston residents and visitors alike.

Following two summers of sign installation along the trail, the WCT crew is heading back to Boston City Hall for a council hearing to discuss the City of Boston recognizing the Walking City Trail as one of Boston's official trails. The buildup to this hearing will include mobilization of support for the trail, in the form of letters and testimonies, and Miles will be spearheading much of the organizing work.

In addition, Miles plans to create two new resources for trail visitors this year—an e-guidebook for the Walking City Trail and an episodic audio guide, which will make it possible for Boston residents and visitors to take self-guided trail walks along the trail. Both resources will be free to the public and each one will spotlight the trail's rustling oases, hidden gems and oddities, and additional destinations that are a short walk away from the WCT.

One of the long-term goals of the Walking City Trail has been building a coalition of restaurants and businesses that are located along or near the trail. This will create more opportunity for people to learn about the trail while also putting local businesses on the maps of more Boston visitors exploring the WCT. And once the city hearing has concluded, Miles will be pivoting to focus on outreach and organizing the beginnings of this "trailside" coalition.

This is a rolling fundraiser not tied to any specific hard deadline in 2024 and all contributions for this project fundraiser will directly support all of these Walking City Trail initiatives. The hearing date will be chosen in early September and this page will be updated as soon as that hearing date is confirmed. Ideally, depending on how the project fundraiser goes, the guiding resources will be available by winter. To learn more about the Walking City Trail, you can visit the official trail website at BostonTrails.org. And if you're active on Instagram, follow the trail at @WalkingCityTrail to stay in the loop about events.

Whether you're able to contribute directly or share this project campaign page with your network, thank you for your support!

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