Upstate Forever Presents Active Living Field Trip to Baxter Village, Fort Mill in York County

Local conservation group Upstate Forever is hosting York County, SC: Successful Communities and How They Get Built, a day-long learning experience on Wednesday, September 24.

The field trip itinerary highlights examples of Traditional Neighborhood Development, downtown revitalization, and built environment amenities for active living in York County, South Carolina. Participants will tour Baxter Village, a model Traditional Neighborhood Development widely recognized as one of the most successful mixed-use projects in the region. Dan Mummey, Director of Residential and Commercial Construction with Clear Springs Development Company, will be on hand to share how this community took shape and flourished even amidst the Great Recession.

“We are excited to provide Upstate developers, elected and appointed officials, planners and other community stakeholders an opportunity to engage face-to-face with a host of people in diverse roles who are working together to create vibrant, successful places in York County.” said Sherry Barrett, Upstate Forever Program Associate. “Local experts will provide background and insight into a range of places, from Fort Mill’s traditional downtown and Anne Springs Close Greenway to Riverwalk in Rock Hill, in addition to Baxter Village. We can all learn a lot by visiting places that are successful, in part, because they inherently promote walking, bicycling and other kinds of physical activity as an integral part of daily life routines.” Barrett said.

The field trip will depart from and return to locations in both Spartanburg and Greenville Counties. In Greenville County, the bus will depart at 8:00 a.m. from Taylors and return at approximately 5:00 p.m. Departure from Spartanburg County will be at 8:30 a.m., with return scheduled for 4:30 p.m. There is no cost to attend, and lunch is included; however, space is limited. To reserve a seat, RSVP to (864) 327-0090 or [email protected].

The field trip, primarily sponsored by the Mary Black Foundation, is the third event in Upstate Forever’s 2014 Active Living Event Series. The series is designed to encourage community dialogue about policies and infrastructure that promote physical activity to improve public health. For more information on the 2014 Active Living Event Series, contact Sherry Barrett at [email protected] or (864) 327-0090.