Sense of Community and Recreation Participation of Latinx Residents on the Bloomingdale Trail: Greenway Use in a Gentrifying Community

The goal of this study was to explore how the recreational use of the Bloomingdale Trail, a greenway located in gentrifying communities in Chicago, IL, was associated with a sense of community among long-term Latinx residents living in subsidized affordable housing units. Using a quantitative-dominant sequential mixed methods research design, we conducted surveys and interviews with long-term Latinx residents of three communities surrounding the Trail. The findings showed that higher recreational program participation on the Bloomingdale Trail was positively associated with visitation, sense of community, and improved perceptions of a sense of community compared to before the Trail opened. Also, higher Trail satisfaction was positively associated with sense of community and improved perceptions of a sense of community compared to before the Trail opened. Qualitative data were used to explain and elaborate on these findings.