Paper

More than a Trail: Greenways and Heritage Tourism

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Abstract

Three recent projects demonstrate how communities have built supportive coalitions and expanded the value of their physical resources by layering and connecting linear corridors - greenways, roads, creek valleys and trails-- with heritage tourism and recreational, historic and interpretive opportunities. In this era of limited public resources, each project demonstrates a distinct and differing approach to leveraging a place’s assets with physical realities that, in combination, build a stronger community.

These projects are located in very different geographic regions in the eastern United States, from the rural, historic landscape of the Piedmont to the urban waterfront of southeastern Washington, D.C. to a narrow valley in eastern Kentucky’s coal country. Value was added to each project through the linking together of heritage resources scattered throughout the area, the layering of storytelling, and the expansion and extension of the project’s economic value to the greater surrounding community.

These projects demonstrate ways to broaden traditional linear corridors by leveraging the communities’ heritage resources to expand the economic potential and cultural value of the physical investment in a trail or greenway.

Keywords: greenways, heritage, tourism, trail, united states

How to Cite:

Lardner, E. & Klein, J., (2010) “More than a Trail: Greenways and Heritage Tourism”, Fábos Conference on Landscape and Greenway Planning 3(1). doi: https://doi.org/10.7275/fabos.899