Walking is Amplifying Georgia Tourism. Build it and they will come Georgia Walks Summit March 16, 2018

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Bethany Richards
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1 Walking is Amplifying Georgia Tourism Build it and they will come Georgia Walks Summit March 16, 2018

2 Mutually Beneficial Infrastructure What s good for local residents is good for visitors

3 Local residents walk Georgia communities that asked us to assist with walkability want it for locals, and for exercise and social outings to run errands to the neighbors for kids to walk/bike to school for adults to walk to work to access the parks from where they live and for seniors to maintain independence and enjoy mobility.

4 Visitors walk too And those same communities want visitors to come see their various attractions and move through the community in the same way. Even communities who haven't identified locals AND visitors as the end user of walkable infrastructure, quickly learn that they will BOTH benefit and BOTH will come. Let s do a bit of visioning, as we share the results of a few of the projects and types of infrastructure involved when focusing on walkability. These images amplify the importance and hot trend of walkability across Georgia s communities.

5 Walking across Georgia Is Forrest Gump leading the way? No, but

6 Walking is Amplifying Georgia Tourism Plains Augusta Calhoun Columbus Helen Carrollton Senoia Rome Jackson Atlanta downtown Woodbine/Kingsland

7 Plains: wayfinding to point out mid-block crossings, access to train depot, and future trail to connect all Jimmy Carter sites.

8 Augusta: revealing the wonder of Phinizy Swamp to downtown riverwalkers, northside greenway strollers, and green jackets baseball fans.

9 Calhoun: Rivers to Ridge Trail connecting downtown to mini parks, schools, rivers, colleges, hospital, and Resaca/New Echota historic sites.

10 Columbus: added kayak launches along the riverwalk which now also connects to a rail-trail, mtb park, downtown hospital, aka the Dragonfly Trails network.

11 Helen: hike from Unicoi Lodge down to the cafes, stroll sidewalks to an ADA riverwalk, explore the farmhouse and gaze over Sautee- Nacoochee valley.

12 Carrollton: 18-mile concrete loop trail built in 5 years w/local support, now reaches schools, neighborhoods, hospitals, work centers and even the principal walks to school!

13 Senoia: Nik & Norman make the town famous while filming the Walking Dead, which is now a mecca for sidewalk tours of film sites, historic homes, and cafes.

14 Rome: invites visitors to lodge across the river, walk to conferences, climb a hill to an historic cemetery overlook, then paint and stroll riverside, all from downtown.

15 Jackson: master planning to connect Dauset Trails nature center, Stranger Things downtown sites, Indian Springs Village & Park, Jackson lake, and the dam!

16 Atlanta: an urban walking/biking path connects Georgia Tech, Coca Cola, Centennial Park, GDECD and transit by repurposing a lane from a WIDE auto parkway.

17 Woodbine: Family friendly fitness trail alongside Hwy 17 repurposes rail bed and connects hamlets to the Satilla River for walks, paddles, or evening socials.

18 $61.1 Economic Impacts Tourism in Georgia = $61.1b Outdoor Recreation in Georgia = $27.3b Source: billion $27.3 billion

Walkable cities are healthy cities Walkable Cities Reduce Blood Pressure and Hypertension Risk, study finds: Because walkability was based on the underlying design of the city, cities could be

19 Walkable cities are healthy cities Walkable Cities Reduce Blood Pressure and Hypertension Risk, study finds: Because walkability was based on the underlying design of the city, cities could be modified or designed to encourage it. Such investments in healthy design are likely to bring in long-term gains as they are enduring and all-pervasive. We think those gains also improve the visitor experience and result in an economic impact. Source: NACTO Twitter;

Walkable cities are fun & smart cities Weaving Games and Puzzles into the Fabric of a Community: To encourage playful learning, Urban Thinkspace put miniature playgrounds along the paths or walks

20 Walkable cities are fun & smart cities Weaving Games and Puzzles into the Fabric of a Community: To encourage playful learning, Urban Thinkspace put miniature playgrounds along the paths or walks which kids travel Planting such learning environments in disadvantaged neighborhoods could help close the achievement gap between local children and their wealthier peers #30millionwordGAP What visitor wouldn t want to experience a fun, smart interactive city? Source: America Walks Twitter;

Walkable cities attract employers Even the mention of Amazon bringing HQ2 to Atlanta has given rise to: Improving our transit offerings Repurposing the 27-acre gulch which has sat fallow for decades

21 Walkable cities attract employers Even the mention of Amazon bringing HQ2 to Atlanta has given rise to: Improving our transit offerings Repurposing the 27-acre gulch which has sat fallow for decades Connecting our neighborhoods via trails and sidewalks Thus creating a more walkable city and one that a major employer and the millennial workforce desires Source: Saporta Report Twitter; pick-to-land-amazons-5-billion.html#g/425862/2

22 Walkable cities are the future Black Panther is one of the first movies to get urbanism right, with a transit-friendly, walkable Wakanda. The future will more likely have active streets, not just flying cars! ~Janette Sadik-Khan Wakanda! Source: Janette Sadik-Khan Twitter;

23 How we get Georgia walking Programming, wayfinding, amenities, connectivity, grant funding

24 Tourism Product Development Our work is to help a community refresh, implement, or realize a tourism asset. We do that via site visits, bringing along a team of experts who make observations, recommendations and even suggest funding streams and great partners for new product. Then they get to work the slides you saw earlier are examples of what the communities have implemented as tourism product that also enhances walkability of Georgia for locals and visitors alike.

25 How we get Georgia walking Connecting the infrastructure + Wayfinding and branding signage + Trail amenities like benches, bike share, public art + Healthy events & programming like Lantern Walks, Walk With a Doc + Marketing via website/apps/visitor centers/cvbs + TPD grant funding = A path to active travel, walkability, and tourism in Georgia.

26 Walking is Amplifying Georgia Tourism Tracie Sanchez, Manager of Tourism Product Development Georgia Department of Economic Development

27 Save the date: May 2019 in Columbus for the next Georgia Trail Summit!

Perryville TOD and Greenway Plan

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