For many of us, walking our hometown trails became a routine activity in 2020. The pandemic helped the world realize how essential outdoor public spaces are for the mental and physical wellbeing of our communities. Landscape architects exist because of that truth. We design spaces for the public—places that allow nature to thrive within urban infrastructure, places that stand the test of time. At Dix.Hite, we say simply that we design for life. And in honor of National Trails Day, we’d like to celebrate one of those important places in the works.

Forging a New Path

If you’ve spent time in Jefferson County, Alabama, you’ve probably heard of the Red Rock Ridge and Valley Trail System. The proposed 750-mile trail system, which focuses on regional connectivity and active transportation, is being developed by the Freshwater Land Trust. Once finished, it will consist of seven major corridors connecting county residents seamlessly to multi-use trails, parks, bike lanes and sidewalks.

One of these corridors, Jones Valley Trail, is nearing completion. We’re working with the Freshwater Land Trust to design the last half-mile of this corridor: the Continental Gin Connector. This section of the trail runs along an alley bordered by residential and commercial properties and will ultimately complete the connection that begins near Railroad Park and stretches all the way to the Continental Gin where Cahaba Brewery is located. Our very own Katherine Glenn, a junior board member of the Freshwater Land Trust, explains:

 “This section of the trail will feel a bit different than other portions of the Jones Valley Corridor, more protected and park-like. The design is focused on increasing the accessibility, visibility and safety of the trail and will include some fun, colorful features to help pedestrians find their way from Avondale to Continental Gin.”

Leaving a Trail of Entertainment

In addition to the Continental Gin Connector, we’ve also had a few other projects up our sleeve along the Jones Valley Corridor. We recently completed conceptual plans for the beer garden at Ferus on 41st in Avondale. Saturn, a music venue, is working with us to redesign the outdoor space fronting the trail along 2nd Avenue. And the Denham Building and Monday Night Brewing are providing a vibrant streetscape and outdoor dining for residents and those exploring the Parkside District.

But perhaps the most exciting of them all is the long-awaited Urban Supply. We designed the master plan for the project, which is a redevelopment of historic buildings in the heart of downtown Birmingham near Railroad Park and Regions Field. Urban Supply will provide restaurants, entertainment, fitness, retail and breweries right off future portions of the Jones Valley Trail. The Aisle, a re-imagined alleyway within the space, will provide an outdoor gathering space for events, food trucks and festivals.

Happy Trails to You

Adventurers at heart, our Birmingham and Atlanta studios decided to test out the accessibility of the built portions of the Jones Valley Trail (and some unbuilt portions, where one of us may or may not have lost our bike chain and temporarily delayed the tour). We traveled onward via scooters and bikes, enjoying the day and celebrating our contribution as landscape architects to these amazing places within our hometown. We think the adventure further confirmed our theory that Jones Valley Corridor will be one of the most popular public trails along the Red Rock Trail System.

To learn more about Jefferson county’s accessible trails and future portions of the Red Rock Trail System, visit freshwaterlandtrust.org.