Mapping Public Pedestrian Greenway Easements in Chapel Hill

Dozens of pedestrian greenway easements in Chapel Hill, NC often sit latently, never developed into accessible walkways or multi-use paths. Without a GIS layer mapping their condition and extent, planners are limited in their ability to utilize them, in short-term improvements or long-range strategic plans. This project created a geodatabase layer and mapped public pedestrian greenway easements, a land use type previously missing from Chapel Hill GIS records. Through archival research into plat maps and deeds at the Orange County Register of Deeds, I added a total of 90 (65 Town-maintained and 27 HOA-maintained) easement segment records to municipal geodata. I catalog data on their environmental condition, length, and legal details on easements origin, deed intent and access potential. Understanding that not all 90 easements are created equal, I developed an initial screening rubric to identify easements that have low cost and high potential, prioritizing easements that would complement the existing transportation network and its plans, while avoiding major creeks and streams.  Maps and analysis help visualize these easements spatially and provide considerations for how to improve their function as walkways.