Headwaters Economics
  • Research
    • Economic Development
    • Equity
    • Natural Hazards
    • Outdoor Recreation
    • Public Lands
    • Tax Policy
  • Community Assistance
  • Tools
  • About
    • Our ImpactPage about Headwaters Economics’ impact, projects, and services
    • Our Team
  • Contact
Search

United States

  • Measuring Americans’ Comfort With Research Uses of Their Social Media Data

    Megan Lawson, Ph.D.

    This study evaluates American perspectives on how social media data is used by researchers. A scenario-based survey with American Facebook users demonstrated that factors such as the type of researcher, content, purpose of data use, and awareness of data collection influence their level of comfort or concern regarding data use. This study provides recommendations for… Read more

  • Using data derived from cellular phone locations to estimate visitation to natural areas: An application to water recreation in New England, USA

    Megan Lawson, Ph.D.

    This study compares cell phone location data to onsite observations at 577 water access areas in New England and Massachusetts. A statistical model was built to estimate daily visitation with cell data for the summer months of 2017. The model accurately predicted visitation to the 577 water-access areas. Read more

  • Economic Analysis of Outdoor Recreation in Washington State 2020 Update

    Megan Lawson, Ph.D.

    This report provides a comprehensive analysis of the economic impact of outdoor recreation in Washington State. The report includes estimates on spending, jobs, income, impact on GDP, consumer surplus, and environmental benefits of outdoor recreation. In 2019, outdoor recreation in Washington contributed $26.5 billion in spending and supported 264,000 jobs, compared to $21.5 billion and… Read more

  • No Walk in the Park: The Viability and Fairness of Social Media Analysis for Parks and Recreation Policy Making

    Megan Lawson, Ph.D.

    This study examines the biases in social media analyses using different data sources that estimate the number and demographics of visitors to urban parks. Flickr, Instagram, an on-site survey, an online/phone survey, and an AI facial recognition program are utilized to address the bias that can be generated from different social media platforms. The number… Read more

  • Applying Novel Visitation Models using Diverse Social Media to Understand Recreation Change after Wildfire and Site Closure

    Megan Lawson, Ph.D.

    This study analyzes how visitation in the Columbia River Gorge of Oregon and Washington changed as a result of the 2017 Eagle Creek Fire. A visitation model is constructed by incorporating data from social media to measure visitation patterns and used to look for a substitution effect on nearby recreation sites after the fire. Read more

  • Estimating trail use and visitor spatial distribution using mobile device data: An example from the nature reserve of Orange County, California USA

    Megan Lawson, Ph.D.

    This study uses mobile data from the analysis platform Streetlight to estimate visitor use in four urban parks and protected areas in Orange County, California. The mobile device methods are compared to other trail counting methods to determine whether mobile device data could be a reliable measure of trailhead visitation counts and spatial distribution of… Read more

  • Economic Impact Analysis of The Proposed Pike2Bike Trail

    Megan Lawson, Ph.D.

    This study estimates the economic impact of the proposed 8.5-mile Pike2Bike trail. More than 80% of Fulton and Bedford County residents expressed support for the proposed Pike2Bike trail and 32% of current and potential business owners indicated they may invest in a new business to support the trail if it were developed. Using surveys, IMPLAN,… Read more

  • Next-generation visitation models using social media to estimate recreation on public lands

    Megan Lawson, Ph.D.

    This study evaluates how social media predicts visitation across multiple sites. Two geographically different areas were chosen to evaluate how well visitation models can be generalized to different areas. Adding social media data to a model was found to improve visitor estimates at unmonitored sites, even when a model is parameterized with data from another… Read more

  • The Economic Value of Trails in Arizona: A Travel Cost Method Study

    Megan Lawson, Ph.D.

    This study estimates the value Arizona residents derive from visiting motorized and non-motorized trails. The authors also estimated total annual trail use, Arizonans’ perceptions of trails, and favorite and most frequented trails. The value for Arizona residents from non-motorized trail use is around $8.3 billion per year; the value from motorized trail use is about… Read more

  • Economic Impacts of Local Park Visitor Spending on Local Communities: A Case of Mississippi Parks

    Megan Lawson, Ph.D.

    This study analyzes the economic impacts of visitor expenditures at local parks operated by the Pat Harrison Waterway District (PHWD) in Mississippi which provide amenities like boat launches, fishing opportunities, camping, and trails. A survey and input-output model from IMPLAN is used to model expenditures. Visitors’ total local spending was estimated to be $5.1 million… Read more

  • Equity in Access to Outdoor Recreation – Informing a Sustainable Future.

    Megan Lawson, Ph.D.

    Residents in four large metropolitan areas in California were interviewed by phone to determine differences in outdoor recreation participation in national forests by ethnoracial groups, age, and gender. The researchers found that the most listed constraint to participation among all groups was a lack of time, though minority respondents were more likely to list resource-related… Read more

  • Exploring the Distribution of Park Availability, Features, and Quality Across Kansas City, Missouri by Income and Race/Ethnicity: An Environmental Justice Investigation

    Megan Lawson, Ph.D.

    This study explores the disparities in park availability, components, and quality across socioeconomic and racially/ethnically diverse census tracts in Kansas City, Missouri. The authors found that low-income census tracts contained a higher amount of parks, but also had more quality concerns per park and fewer parks with playgrounds. Categorizing census tracts into high minority (where… Read more

  • Pedestrian and Bicycle Infrastructure: A National Study of Employment Impacts

    Megan Lawson, Ph.D.

    This report estimates the job creation resulting from the construction of bicycle and pedestrian facilities such as bike paths, trails, sidewalks, and related projects. Based on data from transportation and public works departments in 11 cities with 58 projects, the author estimated that on average, these infrastructure projects create 9 in-state jobs for each $1… Read more

  • Economic Impact of the Proposed Run of River Whitewater Park in Skowhegan Maine

    Megan Lawson, Ph.D.

    The study estimates the impact of the proposed Run of River Whitewater Park in Skowhegan, Maine. The park would include infrastructure to support water sports and additional trails to encourage hiking, walking, and cross-country skiing. Run of River was estimated to generate a direct economic impact of nearly $6 million in spending in its first… Read more

  • The Knoxville Urban Wilderness Trail System and Baker Creek Preserve Bike Park: A Profile of Users and Physical Activity

    Megan Lawson, Ph.D.

    This study is listed as the first in a series of Knoxville Urban Wilderness (KUW) health and economic impact reports. This paper details the number of KUW users during 2021. Findings include that the users of the KUW trail system are predominately white, adult males, and that mountain biking, running, and walking are the most… Read more

  • Economic Impact of Non-Commercial Paddling and Preliminary Economic Impact Estimates of Commercial Paddling in the Nantahala and Pisgah National Forests

    Megan Lawson, Ph.D.

    This study conducts an economic impact analysis of paddling expenditures for both noncommercial and commercial paddlers on rivers in the Nantahala and Pisgah national forests in North Carolina. Results indicated that noncommercial paddler visitors spend an estimated $3.2 million annually across seven rivers. Read more

  • The Economic Impact of the Proposed Chattahoochee Valley Blueway Project

    Megan Lawson, Ph.D.

    This study estimated the economic impacts of the proposed Chattahoochee Valley Blueway paddling trail that flows through parts of Georgia and Alabama. Using an online survey, the author estimated expenditures and potential visitors over four years, assuming marketing will increase the customer base to include counties within a two-hour drive after two years, counties within… Read more

  • Outdoor Recreation Constraints: An Examination of Race, Gender, and Rural Dwelling

    Megan Lawson, Ph.D.

    In this study from 2001, the authors use the National Survey on Recreation and the Environment to better understand the constraints faced by black people, women, and rural residents in the U.S. when they attempt to participate in their favorite outdoor recreation activities. They found that women are most likely to feel constrained by personal… Read more

  • Analyzing the Impact of the Firefly Trail on Economic Development in Northeast Georgia

    Megan Lawson, Ph.D.

    This study details the expected economic impact of the proposed Firefly Trail in Georgia. The report estimated that the construction of the trail will lead to a one-time increase in total economic output by $32 million, create an additional 158 jobs, and will increase household incomes by $6.9 million at the county level. Read more

  • Planning for Environmental Justice in an Urban National Park

    Megan Lawson, Ph.D.

    The authors conducted a survey in Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area in Los Angeles to understand park accessibility and how socio-demographic characteristics affect individuals’ use of the park. They found that the average park user is white, male, middle-aged, has a college education, earns between $50,000-$75,000 per annum, and was born in the United… Read more

1 2 3 … 8
Next Page»

Independent Nonpartisan Research

Contact

© 2025 Headwaters Economics, all rights reserved


  • Sitemap
  • Terms of Use
  • Research
    • Economic Development
    • Equity
    • Natural Hazards
    • Outdoor Recreation
    • Public Lands
    • Tax Policy
  • Community Assistance
  • Analysis Tools
  • About Us
  • Contact
    • LinkedIn
    • YouTube