The Rediscovery of Small Town Main Streets and Historic
Districts with Sustainable Socio-Economic Policies
Knowledge Tourism brings together local histories, customs, values
and traditions with expertise in a variety of disciplines to learn, experience
and expand knowledge of the territory
with a holistic program that
addresses simultaneously:
Logistics such as Transit Oriented Development - TOD - and Location Efficient Communities. Transit availability is important for
business and economic development as well as a health issue, as numerous
studies link reduced obesity with public transport, and the development of
walking and biking trails, implemented in part via eServices
and the application of appropriate communications technologies that put
under served communities and customers within reach of public and private
transport services at an affordable cost.
EnergyEfficiency and Water Quality/Conservation synergies
between energy and water are key as costs and consumption of the latter are
highly dependent on the efficiency of the former; also, main street
storefronts, offices, museums and other venues can regain visitors from malls
and other commercial structures only if they implement energy savings programs.
Geography and Historic Trade
Routes, take into consideration rivers, lakes, coastlines, highways, wagon
trails and rail routes to ensure sustainability and resilience, even where the
rivers are no longer navigable, or a source of water for nearby communities,
and rail heads have been dismissed. Each region has anchor locations with a
history as hubs.
Anchor Locations are the
points of reference for other local areas in their respective regions as well
as cross-regional collaborations whereby a local government, nonprofit or
business that has a specific expertise in a topic beneficial to local food
and/or heath related issue, is invited to participate and transfer its know-how
to ensure
Purchasing Power, the Achilles’ heel of both small
communities and small business, achievable via local and regional
collaborations and transfers of know-how and a
A Planning Process that
addresses Land Use, Housing, Utilities, Community Facilities, Transportation,
Water and Natural Resources, Historic Preservation and Economic Development.
New Small Business and Employment Opportunities
Cultural Heritage and Local Museums give
meaning and purpose to the objects on display in museums and art galleries as
they disclose the historical and
archaeological heritage of a community, leverage
conservation and the rediscovery of
cultural heritage through the arts, history, archeology, literature and
architecture, preserve biodiversity
and the cultures associated with
rural, coastal and river communities.
Local Food Wineries and Breweries there are several fascinating
examples throughout America of a resurgence in farming that caters to an
ever-increasing demand for local, quality and sustainable food, wine and ale
consumption in urban and rural areas.
Preserving and
Divulging the Cultural Heritage of American Communities via Placemaking
Public Transport Initiatives In
recent years, efficient and affordable public transit - in the form of bus
rapid transit - BRT, rail services and trolley cars – for urban, suburban and
intercity service have been debated, studied and in some instances implemented.
Major cities such as Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, DC and Minneapolis/St
Paul that have established commuter and regional services can bring their planners
and managers into collaborations with small town planners and businesses to
construct efficient, safe and affordable commuter, transit and travel related
services.
Water Resources and the Environment visit and study the efforts of
communities that are in the forefront of water resources management and other
environmentally sustainable practices in coastal and river waterfront
development in small towns and large cities as well as agricultural
communities. Local officials and nonprofit stewards of the environment, among
others, explain their policies, programs and best management practices in wastewater
and watershed management, land conservancy issues, LEED certifications,
recycling, rainwater collection and energy efficient systems.
Industry and Commerce Itineraries from Agriculture and Industry to Services and
Sustainability
Communities transitioning from traditional industrial and
commercial activities to technologically innovative ones; in some instances,
they are also able to re-establish their traditional economic activities with a
successful application of the so-called knowledge economy and, in the process,
becoming once again competitive in the world marketplace.t