The GNAR Initiative exists to help Western gateway communities, their regions, and public lands around them thrive and preserve the things that make them special. The Initiative does this by leveraging our three pillars – research, education, and capacity building – to help communities and land managers throughout the West prepare and respond to challenges.
Small cities and towns outside of significant natural amenities such as national parks, public lands, ski areas, and scenic rivers throughout the western United States are becoming increasingly popular places to visit and live. As a result, many of these "gateway" and natural amenity region ( or GNAR) communities grapple with “big city” issues, including severe congestion, lack of affordable workforce housing, and concerns about sprawl.
Yes! In their 2020 article in the Journal of the American Planning Association, Dr. Danya Rumore and Dr. Philip Stoker Stoker defined a "gateway community" as:
Western states are often characterized by a strong connection between clean water, abundant wildlife, productive agriculture, and cultural heritage, which has provided a high quality of life for generations. Planning for sensitive lands in concurrence wit...
The route is set. The buses have arrived. But as of early October, a new public transit line connecting Zion National Park with St. George is running behind its planned July start date. The hold-up has been hiring enough drivers, said St. George
Here in the West, we are defined by our public lands: by the forests and deserts and steppes that comprise our backyards. The U.S. government owns 49% of the land in the 13 Western states, including Hawai‘i and Alaska, according to Headwaters Economics
Division of Outdoor Recreation looks to give communities funds, data and a blueprint to expand their trails and access with the help of new strategic document.
