Welcome to the Revealing Worcester’s Hidden Gem Team page! From January to May of 2017 we worked in collaboration with the Park Spirit of Worcester to assess the community’s present awareness of The East-West Trail, Worcester’s first urban hiking trail, spanning 14 miles across 20 unique green spaces.
Project Sponsor
The Park Spirit of Worcester Inc. is a nonprofit advocacy group formed during the 1980s to protect, promote, enhance and advocate for Worcester City parks for all individuals to enjoy. They also serve as a fiscal agent for some of the city’s other volunteer groups such as the Friends of Newton Hill and the Green Hill Neighborhood Association. Learn more here!
Student Researchers
Aaron Todd is from York Maine, pursuing a degree in Business Analytics with a minor in Economics. Aside from academics he is a associate captain on the WPI Varsity Men’s Basketball team, entering his fourth year within the program next year. Interested in the environmental and communal impacts the utilization of the East-West Trail could have on the city of Worcester.
Steve Gandolfo is an Aerospace Engineering major from Lynbrook, New York. He is involved in Student Government Association, Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity, and intramural sports. Being a native New Yorker he has seen the impacts of an urban hiking trail first hand in New York City. He is eager to see how the East-West trail can bring together the various organizations and businesses in Worcester.
Stasha Greenalch is from Newington, Connecticut, pursuing a Management Engineering degree and is minoring in Entrepreneurship. Being part of the WPI Women’s Basketball team, she excels in group work and is excited to begin work with the Park Spirit organization.
Project Goal
To work with the Park Spirit of Worcester Inc. to enhance the overall trail experience for Worcester residents of all ages thereby increasing utilization of the East-West Trail.
Project Objectives
- Asses what Worcester residents want in green spaces
- Estimate Worcester residents’ awareness of the East-West Trail
- Compile an inventory of points of interest along the East-West Trail
- Asses the current conditions of the green spaces that comprise the East-West Trail
- Determine the most appropriate technology to enhance trail user’s experience
- Develop an interactive electronic mobile experience for trail users
- Develop sustainable ways for Park Spirit to successfully market the East-West Trail
Awareness Campaign
In satisfying our objectives we were able to develop the following components as part of an awareness campaign for the East-West Trail. To learn more about the campaign click here!
- Expansion and population of the Park Spirit website
- The development of a mobile web application
- A trifold brochure
- A promotional video advertisement
- An annual egg hunt
- A flyer for backpack mail
- An archive of graphic content for social media and methods of publicizing the trail.
What Can You See Along The Hike?
Promotional Video
Special Thanks
We would like to thank Park Spirit of Worcester Inc, particularly their president Brittany Legasey and their treasurer Rick Miller for all of their help, our advisors Corey Dehner and Derren Rosbach for their guidance and assistance throughout the course of this project, Jim Monaco of the Worcester Polytechnic Institute’s Academic Technology Center for all of the time and assistance he put into helping us develop the web application, and Worcester Polytechnic Institute for providing us with this unique opportunity.
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