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Trail Neighbors Gallery 2: Adjacent Homes and Residences

New housing near exising trails is typically a selling point rather than a concern. These examples of trails near homes are typical of townhouse and condo development along trail corridors. The Portland trail could hardly be closer to the mid-rise housing complex. Bridges over the canal and access trails from housing are often added to enable residents to reach trails. It is also becoming common to see signs visible from trails advertising adjacent homes for rent or sale. The example from Denver shows that the managers apparently liked the advertising opportunity enough to replace the banners with newer ones a few years later. The new versions have the same message as the previous ones.

See Trail Neighbors Gallery 1 of photos of homes and residences near trails

See more about issues with adjacent land uses and trails

Photos by Stuart Macdonald; click on any photo to see it full size:

Portland, Oregon housing development along Willamette River Greenway; photo by Stuart Macdonald, August 26, 2008

Homes are essentially right on the trail near downtown Portland, Oregon; photo by Stuart Macdonald, August 26, 2008

Trail zigzags through development with both bikes and walkers using the route; photo by Stuart Macdonald, August 26, 2008

Portland, Oregon housing development along Willamette River Greenway; photo by Stuart Macdonald, August 26, 2008

Very expensive homes overlook Highline Canal Trail in exclusive Denver suburb, Cherry Hills Village, CO; photo by Stuart Macdonald, Nov. 29, 2009

Multi-family housing development adjacent to Big Dry Creek Trail, Westminster, CO; photo by Stuart Macdonald, Dec. 1, 2009

Trails thread open space along Harvard Gulch in Denver with houses nearby; photo by Stuart Macdonald, Nov. 30, 2009

Harvard Gulch Trail is very close to single-family houses; photo by Stuart Macdonald, Nov. 30, 2009

Highline Canal Trail runs for over 20 miles through Aurora, CO, a suburb of Denver, and is lined with residential development, much of it new; photo by Stuart Macdonald, Nov. 29, 2009

New trails were built from new housing development to access Highline Canal Trail in Aurora, CO; photo by Stuart Macdonald, Nov. 29, 2009

More recent housing development along Highline Canal Trail in Aurora, CO; photo by Stuart Macdonald, Nov. 29, 2009

Note no fences anywhere; bridge was built from new multi-family housing to access Highline Canal Trail in Aurora, CO; photo by Stuart Macdonald, Nov. 29, 2009

No fences separate townhouses from Highline Canal Trail in Aurora, CO; photo by Stuart Macdonald, Nov. 29, 2009

Sign advertises "New Apartments" along Highline Canal Trail in Aurora, CO; photo by Stuart Macdonald, Nov. 29, 2009

Signs and banner advertise apartment complex right on Highline Canal Trail in Denver; photo by Stuart Macdonald, Nov. 29, 2009

Detail of signs advertising apartment complex right on Highline Canal Trail in Denver; photo by Stuart Macdonald, Nov. 29, 2009

From a few years earlier, management company's had similar signs advertising the apartment complex; photo by Stuart Macdonald

Also from a few years earlier, the banner advertising the apartment complex on Highline Canal Trail in Denver; photo by Stuart Macdonald

The current version of the trail-side banner advertising the apartments, in the same location on the building; photo by Stuart Macdonald, Nov. 29, 2009