I have a lot of thoughts (and questions) around how trail communities – how any community – will recover from the pandemic. But in this moment, I simply want to acknowledge what a difficult time this has been for people.
Trail Towns and Communities
Are we Hungry for Thriving Communities?
In her memoir, Hunger, Roxane Gay writes of romantic relationships, “…it’s a shame that the measure is what is not so bad instead of what is thriving and good.” That insight caught my attention because it’s true for so many people. No doubt, we all have friends or family members who stay in relationships that […]
Indiana Trail Town Workshops: Introducing Trail Towns to Hoosier State Communities
The Greenways Foundation advocates for trails and greenways in Indiana. In 2019, the Foundation determined it was time to advocate for better trail-to-town connections as well. They hired Cycle Forward to host six interactive trail town workshops throughout the state. Many of the participants were learning about trail towns for the very first time.
Trent-Severn Trail Towns: Leading the way with Canada’s First Trail Town Program
When a National Historic Site of Canada is in your region, you certainly want to find a way to elevate and connect to it. With this in mind, Kawarthas Northumberland (a region in Eastern Ontario) developed Canada’s first Trail Town program along the 386-kilometer Trent-Severn Waterway. Cycle Forward was involved from concept to launch. Dates: […]
10 Months Living in Pittsburgh’s South Side
Ten months ago, three days before Christmas, my wife and I moved into our new (old) home in Pittsburgh’s South Side neighborhood. Throughout our first year here, I’ve often thought about writing about our experience as new residents. Honestly, though, I haven’t known what I want to say. My history with the neighborhood goes back […]
Small town launches its own bike share
From idea to bikes on the street in six months! Bike share ridership has been on the rise over the last few years. For those who don’t know, this is when a community has a fleet of bikes that are available for short term rental. They’re typically positioned at unattended stations throughout a city and […]
Are Communities Performing the Grand Seduction?
I watched the movie The Grand Seduction recently and have been thinking about it in the context of community ever since. Somehow this little indie movie about a Newfoundland village that tries to lure a doctor to plant roots has permeated my thinking in consulting projects. The premise of the movie is that the village […]
Cycle Forward’s “Month of Canada”
I’ve spent much of this week trying to unpack (in both the literal and figurative senses) two fantastic professional experiences, both involving interacting with trail and tourism professionals of Atlantic Canada. The experiences: In April, spending a week in Gros Morne National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site, where I took a fantastic four day […]
Mon Valley Road Tripping
Enjoying the quirk, charm and stunning views along the Monongahela River I’ve been planning the Come Down to the River and Play event weekend on behalf of the River Town Program and National Road Heritage Corridor. Special thanks to longtime River Town Program coordinator / cajoler / champion Cathy McCollom for involving me in this […]
The joy of winter events that drive business
My career in marketing places started in Pittsburgh’s South Side. I helped to put on a historic house tour and a neighborhood festival-gone-wild. Talk about two different events! Despite its early success in drawing attention to the South Side, the festival blew up to the point that the net benefit was no longer evident. Residents […]
