The Circuit: The History and Future of America’s Best Regional Trail System

The 6^th Annual Richard L. James Lecture

One of the region’s great environmental stories is the explosive growth of the Circuit, the 750-mile trail network that connects the city to its nine surrounding counties, with long-distance links to the Poconos, DC and the Susquehanna River.  Among the country’s premiere urban trail networks, a new section of The Circuit makes the news almost weekly.  But how did The Circuit start?  And where is it going next?  Architect and planner Robert Thomas, a founder and principal of Campbell Thomas & Co., has been advocating for, plus planning and designing, trails for 40 years, while writing many of its groundbreaking studies.  Bob presents the first comprehensive history of The Circuit while looking boldly ahead to where our trails take us next.

About the Speaker

Bob Thomas is a partner of Campbell Thomas & Co. Architects, founded in 1976 and a firm noted for historic preservation, energy conscious design, community development, greenways, accessible design and appropriate technology.  As partner in charge of numerous architectural, planning, greenway, solar, bicycle and public transportation projects he has worked with such agencies as Philadelphia’s Parks and Recreation Department, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation , and the Montgomery County Planning Commission.