Environmental and Social Data Collected and Analyzed An economic impact report projects significant regional impact from these cumulative efforts, and an increase in adjacent land values commensurate with John Crompton’s proximate value principle. The effect on the northern communities is viewed as having a strong increase in property values, providing additional spinoff retail opportunities and, in concert with a local community college, a park operations employment training program. Several opportunities for park-specific revenue include a sliding-scale gate fee, rentals, and equipment, tour and food concessions. Adjacent lands with strategic economic value are under consideration for acquisition as park revenue-generators, to assure the park’s long-term viability and provide a revenue stream to accelerate construction of capital improvements. The client is exploring a park-related development such as a hotel or conference/retreat on a key site within the park. Cultural heritage is vital to preserving community identity of the former company towns still inhabited by original miners and their descendants.Įconomic Sustainability is demonstrated by the Partnership and Management themes. The Master Plan expresses the client’s desire to use park planning, physical design, and programming to break the barriers and to organize a neighborhood stabilization, historic preservation, and improvement plan in response to the new park. In contrast, the southern communities represent the region’s most ambitious growth: golf courses, signature hotel, planned communities, and office parks define a lifestyle far removed from the northern communities. These historically black communities have subsisted in the mountain’s shadow, with no relationship to the vast abandoned mine lands (private corporate holdings sealed to public access). The division was accentuated as the northern communities, company towns developed by the mining company, struggled with mine closings in the mid-19th century. The healing process is begun by using the park to link two very different communities divided by the mountain even prior to the mid-19th Century onset of mining. Social Sustainability is demonstrated by four themes: the Vitality Theme enhances public health through active recreation, the Heritage Theme bolsters community identity, and the Connection and Partnership Themes secure social equity. The Management Theme employs bioengineering techniques to highlight upper watershed water quality improvement, invasive species removal (kudzu and Chinese Privet), transmission line eco-management plan, and commitment to LEED and Sustainable Sites Initiative standards for new construction. The Renewal Theme includes plans for long-term forest and habitat management, reclamation of disturbed mined areas. Six themes organize the program and layout of the park: Vitality (public health and recreation), Heritage (industrial history), Renewal (environmental restoration), Connection (greenway and community links), Partnership (neighborhood revitalization, new development partnerships), and Management (stewardship and green building/operations).Įnvironmental Sustainability is demonstrated by the protection of the parkland from private development. Reaching well beyond the park boundary to connect to and secure the future stability of the adjacent communities via greenway links, the project helps to improve both the long-term sustainability of the site and the larger community.Ī redemption story in the making, the park will anchor Birmingham’s new green infrastructure, and spur associated economic spinoff in a region much in need of a civic “victory.” The park will play a central role in helping Birmingham reconcile its proud and complex history, and move on from its dual identity as epicenter of civil rights struggle and former iron making giant. In addition, nine historic mine openings will be interpreted, with one mine as the park’s interpretive and development focus. Features include over 40 miles of trails with a 10-mile rail trail and a 4-mile highline trail on elevated rail grade, a 45-acre commons, a 20-acre lake, and various active adventure recreation areas. When complete the park will change people’s minds about the long lost landscape, creating a type of community therapy via recreation.
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