
filed under: economics of trails
This session provides two case studies of how communities are creating and attracting residents to unique experiences on their trail systems.
by Ron L. Taylor, Principal, Taylor Siefker Williams Design Group, Travis Glazier, Director, Onondaga County Office of Environment, Andre Denman, Principal Park Planner and Greenways Manager, Indy Parks/Department of Public Works
Syracuse and its suburbs were once the center of the chemical-producing world. After nearly 30 years of debate and 20 years of hard work at a cost of $1.2 billion, Onondaga Lake and its tributaries are on the road to recovery from the industrial heritage/legacy and the county is working to connect the community through recreational trails and improve access to revitalized lands and waterfront on Onondaga Lake.
In Indianapolis, where over 3 million people already use the popular Indy Greenways each year, the city has created the Greenways Partnership to provide programming to attract underserved populations to their trails.
Learning Objectives:
Public Lands and the Continental Divide Trail Study
The primary goal of this study was to understand who uses the Continental Divide Trail (CDT), how they use it, their preferences, and the economic impact of the CDT in the region. Additional data were also collected regarding protecting public lands and using the Continental Divide Trail in Colorado.
2022 CDT Small Business Survey
From August to December 2021, the Continental Divide Trail Coalition surveyed 136 small business owners in 38 communities located along the Continental Divide Trail to learn more about how the Continental Divide Trail impacts their businesses, the local economy, and their support for public lands.
Everything you need to know about the positive impact of trails on health, environment, economics, and more.
2022 CDT Small Business Survey
As a connector of landscapes, communities, and cultures, the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail (CDT) provides a setting for community members, decision makers, conservationists, outdoor enthusiasts, and everyone connected to the lands and waters of the Divide, to come together to discuss how to steward the vital natural, cultural, and historic resources found across its entirety. With this report, the Continental Divide Trail Coalition hopes to highlight the role of the cooperative stewardship model in the management of the CDT, what we accomplished in 2021, and what we are looking forward to in 2022.