Headwaters Economics

Independent Nonpartisan Research

West

Economic Impact of National Parks

This interactive and background materials show visits, spending, and the number of jobs created in gateway communities for every National Park Service unit.

Coal Communities Lack Strong Transition Plans

A recent review published in the Resources Policy journal with researchers at Montana State University shows that coal communities lack strong transition plans and largely are unprepared for coming changes.

Full Community Costs of Wildfire

Almost half of the full community costs of wildfire are paid for at the local level, including homeowners, businesses, and government agencies.

Gallatin County’s Economy, Growth, and Open Space

This report summarizes Gallatin County’s economy, how it has grown, and what is driving its performance. The report also describes how growth threatens open space and the role these lands play in local quality of life.

Montana Losing Open Space

From 1990 to 2018, the number of single-family homes in Montana grew by more than 50 percent, and the popularity of large lots converted 1.3 million acres of undeveloped land to housing.

Benefits of a Frontage Path in Gallatin County, Montana

Updated: This report describes the benefits of a frontage path–a proposed paved, multi-use pathway connecting Belgrade and Bozeman along an approximately ten-mile stretch of U.S. Highway 10 in Gallatin County.

Enchanted Circle Trails: Final Survey Results

In Taos, New Mexico, Hispanic residents and low-income residents are less likely to have used trails during the previous year, but those who have used trails during the previous year use them just as often as other (non-Hispanic) residents. Among low-income residents, those with a park or trail within a 10-minute walk of their house were 50 percent more likely to have used trails during the previous year.

Parks and Park Funding in Los Angeles: An Equity-Mapping Analysis

In Los Angeles, historic land use policies that emphasized low-density housing and did not prioritize public park spaces have led to significant inequities of park access across race, ethnicity, and income. A fund designed to improve access to public parks could exacerbate this problem unless it considers proposals for nontraditional public spaces such as schoolyards and vacant lots, because there is very little available park space in the most underserved neighborhoods.

Childhood Obesity and Proximity to Urban Parks and Recreational Resources: A Longitudinal Cohort Study

By following a large sample of children over time, this study demonstrates that children who participate in recreation programs, or who live a walkable distance from parks, are much less likely to be obese or overweight. These benefits can be achieved through formal parks and programs, but also through accessible green space or other small, informal places that encourage informal play.

Neighborhood Income Matters: Disparities in Community Recreation Facilities, Amenities, and Programs

At a sample of recreation centers in southern California, researchers find that several measures of facility condition and amenities are better in high-income neighborhoods relative to low-income neighborhoods. The likelihood that a child uses the recreation center increases 23 percent for each $10,000 increase in neighborhood income, but the authors do not find a relationship between the quality of the facility and participation rates.

Neighborhood Poverty, Park Use, and Park-Based Physical Activity in a Southern California City

A large study of 50 urban parks in Southern California measures park use by nearby residents and other users across high-, medium-, and low-poverty areas, finding that parks are used less in high-poverty areas. Those who do use parks in high-poverty areas, however, on average use the parks more per week, are more likely to see familiar people in the parks, and use the parks more when there are more staff present.