In a city with a population as dense as Decatur, opportunities to connect our isolated, early to mid-century neighborhoods are few and far between.  And I’m not just talking about paving new roads through neighborhoods – a near impossible task today – but even offering new pedestrian access between neighborhoods.

But then I came across this “Pedestrian Connectivity Map” (pdf), which was displayed and then edited in marker by residents at the first Community Academy session that tackled transportation issues.

While you’ll notice many proposed edits by residents added with marker (I quite enjoyed the Scott Boulevard “Death Trap” notation) the dashed green line connecting Coventry Road, Oakland and Lamont is actually a hard-coded, “proposed multi-use trail” as indicated by the legend (not seen here).

The city’s Amanda Thompson confirmed my reading of the map, and that this trail was indeed a possibility, especially if it gets the backing of area property owners.

And while I could certainly understand the potential hesitation of people who lived around these parcels, I can’t help but think of the potential benefits.  Not only would dog-walkers, runners and general pedestrians be able to do a Coventry/Lamont/Clairemont/Wilton/Oakland loop without ever having to get on Scott Boulevard, but it would create a shorter walking route (via Oakland) to Clairemont Elementary, if Ponce Heights residents were rezoned into that school district.

Quite an interesting and unique opportunity for our neighborhoods to consider!