Introduction

As new recreational trails are developed throughout Iowa, many more people will benefit from additional outdoor recreation opportunities. The benefits of trails extend well beyond fitness and leisure pastimes. Trails hold tremendous potential for economic and community development. To make sure that Iowa's communities truly benefit from new trails, this handbook outlines ways to capitalize on the economic development potential associated with both new and existing trails. Its intended audiences are communities and agencies throughout the State of Iowa.

This handbook draws upon the histories of many trails and towns from all over the United States. In recent years, communities have come up with a variety of innovative and effective approaches to trail-based economic development. The case studies in this handbook describe programs from throughout the Midwest and examine these approaches in detail.

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Purposes of Handbook

• To set forth guiding principles for implementing trail based community development approaches
• To provide a mix of case studies identifying lessons learned and best practices from other places (both successes and failures) and documenting the relevant physical, cultural, and economic conditions and changes
• To enumerate techniques for determining how to measure and convey the potential benefits stemming from a trail system based on the national experience, and how to develop a logical, though hypothetical, estimate of the benefits
• To reflect current "best thinking" from a variety of experts in the field
  
• To describe implementation strategies applicable to different types of communities and trail users that address:
  
  • tourism development;
  • economic development;
  • downtown revitalization; and
  • citizen participation

• To address the logical roles and responsibilities of various state agencies, local governments, private sector entities, and concerned non-profits, and how they can work together for mutual benefit.