University of Cincinnati researchers Rainer vom Hofe, an associate professor of planning, and Olivier Parent, an assistant professor of economics, will present their findings on Sunday, Oct. 16, at the 52nd Annual Association of College Schools of Planning (ACSP) ENVISION Conference in Salt Lake City, Utah.

The two researchers examined how the Little Miami Scenic Trail  a 12-mile southern stretch of the trail that runs through the Cincinnati metropolitan region  impacted residential property values in Hamilton County, Ohio. The scenic, multipurpose trail beckons walkers, hikers, skaters and bicycle enthusiasts and also has horseback riding paths.

For the New Urbanist, multipurpose trails provide the potential for bicycle commuting; help alleviate noise, pollution and congestion, and expand the means for green transportation and a communitys walkability, write the authors.

Using a research model they developed, Parent and vom Hofe found that from a real estate perspective, trails can have significant, positive spillover effects on property values when these properties are located within reasonable distances to the trails.