Attitude Change Over Time: A Study of Adjacent Landowners Along the Frisco Highline Greenway Trail, Greene and Polk Counties, Missouri

The practice of converting abandoned railroad lines into public recreational greenways has become a popular planning technique over the past two decades. This method of developing public recreational opportunities is supported by many citizens but opposed by others. The objective of this study is to identify the attitudes of adjacent landowners and residents along the Frisco Highline Trail in Green and Polk Counties in Missouri, and analyze if , and to what degree, their attitudes have changed over time. This study compares and analyzes the results of two attitude surveys conducted by the author over a seven year period to examine the influence that time has on perceptions and attitudes. Survey results show that as those initially opposed don\u27t experience the problems they thought they would, their attitude towards the trail improves. Survey results also show that not only do attitudes towards the trail improve, but trail neighbors begin to take pride in the trail and often have more problems with the mistreatment of the trail rather than the location of the trail itself. The purpose of this study is to provide information for planners and greenway managers about the attitudes of trail neighbors and landowners along the Frisco Highline Trail. Future work on this topic could focus on the factors influencing attitude formation, such as social status, geographic location, and the cultural belief structure of adjacent landowners along other greenways in the Springfield area and elsewhere