Article Title

Assessing the Economic Benefits of Multi-Use Trails and Greenways: A Case Study into the Tammany Trace Rail-Trail in St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana, U.S.A.

Authors

Hagen Thames Hammons, University of Oregon, Department of Planning, Public Policy and Management

Publication Date

2016

Abstract

Multi-use trails are becoming an economic catalyst and vital contributor to the quality of life for communities all across the world. This paper takes these factors as a basis into a case study on the Tammany Trace (herafter, ’the Trace’), rail-to-trail conversion in St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana, U.S.A. The study looks into how the region and local communities have benefited from the facility by collecting and presenting the data from the following objectives:

⎯ Present the existing conditions and perceptions of the Trace through mapping techniques and feedback from interviews with local leaders.

⎯ Conduct an intercept survey on Trace users to get responses on spending habits and quality of life perceptions of the trail.

⎯ Correlate responses from the intercept survey along with existing user counts to develop an economic impact that that the Trace has on the region.

The Trace is the only significantly long urban paved trail in the state was evaluated to show how valuable this facility is in this very automobile oriented region which could possibly influence other regional governments to implement similar infrastructure.

Recommended Citation

Hammons, Hagen Thames (2016) "Assessing the Economic Benefits of Multi-Use Trails and Greenways: A Case Study into the Tammany Trace Rail-Trail in St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana, U.S.A.," Proceedings of the Fábos Conference on Landscape and Greenway Planning: Vol. 5: Iss. 2, Article 42.
Available at: https://scholarworks.umass.edu/fabos/vol5/iss2/42