Many communities across the Carolinas have had success in creating built environments that promote active lifestyles, and in doing so have seen economic and fiscal benefits. In this webinar, we highlight four communities across the Carolinas that have invested in trails, sidewalks, and other bike- and pedestrian-friendly improvements and have seen economic benefits (e.g., increased tourism, higher property values, more businesses downtown, etc.). These efforts can serve as models of success for other communities in North and South Carolina, and are important steps in both the prevention of overweight and obesity and the economic future of our states.
Community Highlights
Since 2005, the City of Spartanburg has made numerous investments in becoming more pedestrian and bike friendly, including widening sidewalks, creating new greenspaces, installing bike lanes, extending trails, and creating South Carolina’s first bike share systems, HubCycle and BCycle. The city has already seen significant economic benefits, including increases in sales in businesses downtown as well as an influx of new businesses to the city.
The City of Florence is undergoing a major downtown revitalization effort designed to create a safer, more attractive place for pedestrians. The city has improved storefronts, repaired and enhanced sidewalks, landscaped streets, and created better connectively to neighborhood trails and parks. Property values downtown have nearly tripled, and Florence has become a hot spot for private development and new business growth.
ITRE recently completed at study of the economic, health, and transportation impacts from the completion of a pedestrian bridge over I-40, which completed a critical link of the American Tobacco Trail in Durham. This presentation shares the results from launched to better understand the economic contribution of trails in North Carolina.
Granville County will present on their greenway development focusing on the importance of collaboration across the county.
