The St. James walkway study

Abstract

Prior to the opening of the St James Walkway in 1981, David Simmons of the Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism at Lincoln College, proposed a five year research programme to the New Zealand Walkways Commission. This proposal took advantage of the 1981 opening to initiate a longitudinal study which could identify any subsequent changes in use or use impacts on the Walkway. The general aims of this research were to: (i) Describe the user population of the Walkway and any changes to it over the study period; (ii) Describe the role played by the Walkway in the recreation life histories of users; and (iii) Identify any physical impacts from use that occurred following the opening of the new track. This paper presents a compilation, summary and assessment of data gathered from the research programme.