A $63 million investment to build the Cultural Trail in Indianapolis has returned $1 billion in increased property value and other economic benefits since 2008.
John Tuohy reports: "Property values have increased by $1 billion, businesses report more customers and higher sales, and residents feel safer Downtown since construction of the 8-mile Cultural Trail, according to a survey conducted by Indiana University Public Policy Institute."
"The assessment measured the economic impact of the trail from 2008 to 2014 and examined 1,747 parcels within 500 feet of the trail. The institute also sent questionnaires to 66 businesses and 558 trail users." The findings are contained in a report titled, "Assessment of the Impact of the Indianapolis Cultural Trail: A Legacy of Gene and Marilyn Glick" [pdf].
The article includes more details about the findings of the report, including one caveat about the recession's impact on the property values along the trail.
Hat tip to Brent Toderian for sharing the article.
FULL STORY: Study: Property values along Cultural Trail up $1B
The Indianapolis Cultural Trail
Downtown Indianapolis' revitalization created several thriving cultural districts, but gaps in the urban fabric made them seem distant and unconnected. Planners' solution? The Indianapolis Cultural Trail.
Beltline Surpasses Annual Affordable Housing Goal
The Atlanta Beltline agency is actively working to prevent the displacement of longtime residents along the trail system, where property values are rising rapidly.
Indianapolis Falls Short of 2018 Goal to End Long-Term Homelessness
The city’s progress in building supportive housing units has not kept up with the rising numbers of residents experiencing homelessness.
Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees
More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?
In Both Crashes and Crime, Public Transportation is Far Safer than Driving
Contrary to popular assumptions, public transportation has far lower crash and crime rates than automobile travel. For safer communities, improve and encourage transit travel.
Report: Zoning Reforms Should Complement Nashville’s Ambitious Transit Plan
Without reform, restrictive zoning codes will limit the impact of the city’s planned transit expansion and could exclude some of the residents who depend on transit the most.
Judge Orders Release of Frozen IRA, IIJA Funding
The decision is a victory for environmental groups who charged that freezing funds for critical infrastructure and disaster response programs caused “real and irreparable harm” to communities.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Clanton & Associates, Inc.
Jessamine County Fiscal Court
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service