A city reinvented by active mobility
Carmel, just outside Indianapolis, is a small city with a large ambition to reorient urban development around walking, cycling and rolling. Gehl was commissioned to lead the vision for the 42-arce linear park, Monon Trail, as it passes through downtown Carmel — centered around active mobility.
The Monon Trail, an 18-mile multi-use path, was transformed into a vibrant urban and ecological corridor stitched into the fabric of the city. Each segment of the trail reflects the character of its surrounding neighborhood, bolstering district identities while keeping its role as a regional bike path intact. Gehl developed street cross-sections with buffered and grade-separated bike lanes, ample pedestrian space, transit, and parking.
Today, the revamped Monon Trail serves as both a recreational route and a lively destination, offering a range of activities for public enjoyment and social interaction. The success of the original investment of $23 million — guided by Gehl’s vision for downtown’s stretch of the Monon Trail — has spurred millions of additional dollars of reinvestment in Carmel, including a $13-million widening of the next section of the trail, a new food hall, and $175 million in private sector redevelopment nearby. After the Monon Trail was built through downtown, it spurred half a million more walking and cycling trips annually, 70% of residents say they exercise more because of the infrastructure, and revenues downtown increased by two-thirds.
Awards 2019 Congress for New Urbanism Charter Award; 2019 AIM Indiana Placemaking Award; 2022 National honors ULI Americas Awards for Excellence.
