Document Type
Professional Plan Capstone
Original Publication Date
2026
Client
Chesterfield County Planning Department
Location
Ettrick, Virginia
Date of Submission
May 2026
Keywords
Trail Tourism, Trail Town, Economic Revitalization, Economic Impact, Asset Based Community Development, Equity, Recreation
Abstract
The Ettrick Trail Town Guide: Trail Tourism as an Economic Revitalization Strategy in Ettrick, Virginia provides context-specific strategies for the Ettrick community to utilize to capitalize on existing and future trail infrastructure. This plan outlines demographic trends, development patterns, and trail networks, and establishes actionable recommendations for transforming Ettrick into a trail hub. Utilizing the Asset Based Community Development (ABCD) framework, this plan focuses on existing strengths within the community as it pertains to trail tourism, and investigates how these assets can be capitalized on. Key recommendations include improving both physical and cultural connections to trails, adopting marketing and branding strategies to highlight the community as a Trail Town destination, and developing strategies to evaluate the direct economic impacts of trails. Overall, this plan aims to transform the local economy through trail tourism, benefitting both residents and visitors.
Rights
© Dagny Oakley
Is Part Of
Master of Urban and Regional Planning Capstone Projects