INTERNATIONAL COUNTRYSIDE STEWARDSHIP EXCHANGE
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY OF THE 1991 NORTHEAST EXCHANGE

Introduction

Cape Cod has been a tourist destination for more than a century, but it has never faced the pressures it does today. Surrounded by protected bays and open sea, the Cape offers a dazzling variety of beaches, fertile estuaries and salt marshes, coves and harbors, dunes and coastal bluffs. Inland, freshwater ponds and wetlands dot the post glacial landscape. These habitats support rare, yet diverse, wildlife.

These fragile resources are now being threatened by rapid development. Second home, retirement and commercial construction boomed in the 1980′s The sprawling look-alike development threatens not only the Cape’s natural resources but its sense of place and quality of life.

Observations

Cape Cod’s viability as a tourist destination and a livable place for its residents depends upon protecting its regional identity. Preserving its environmental and cultural heritage is key to a healthy economy.

There has been little research on visitors to the Cape, which hinders understanding and planning for their needs. There is also an inconsistency in interpreting the Cape’s resources, giving visitors a fragmented picture of the Cape and making it difficult to market the Cape as a whole.

Traffic congestion is a large problem exacerbated by an over dependence on cars – a consequence of strip commercial development, lack of good public transport, and few accommodations for pedestrians and cyclists.

The team agreed that the most attractive features of the Cape’s built environment were its village centers, while the least attractive were its cluttered commercial strips. Yet it is the highway strip which often make a greater impression on the visitor

The team sensed that the Cape is not commonly viewed as a whole, but as numerous discrete areas. There is some polarization between environmental protection and economic development interest groups. Many management issues pertain to particular resources, but overuse and conflicts among user groups seem to be a common problem.

Key Issues

• How to attract sustainable development that enhances and diversifies its economy and quality of life without compromising its natural, scenic and cultural resources.
• How can areas already developed in a manner incompatible with the Cape’s resources be improved?
• How might a rising sea level affect tourism?

Recommendations

Develop a visitor management strategy and marketing plan for Cape Cod. A framework for agencies to cooperate on common management objectives and to implement the strategy should be established. Tourist businesses should be encouraged to adopt procedures and standards based on agreed environmental principles.

Establish a Heritage Trails system linking natural, historic and cultural resources with existing roads and trails. Establish coordinated visitor interpretation for key public attractions as well as appealing, user-friendly visitor maps. Establish visitor centers and kiosks at key locations to provide coordinated information. Encourage alternatives to cars. Possibilities include shuttle buses between towns, express buses from the airport, closing some village streets to cars and using trolley buses, park-and-ride systems, an improved bicycle trail system and expanded ferry service.

Develop incentives to encourage cluster development, small scale community sewage treatment and other innovative design ideas. The impact of existing strip development can be reduced by better landscaping, smaller and fewer signs and improved pedestrian movement. Incorporate architectural and design review into the approval process for commercial and multifamily development. Promote walking and cycling in town centers, where walking is already dominant. Enhance safety by remote parking lot and shuttle systems, buses between lodgings and major destinations and other traffic controls.

Resource management is an important issue to the Cape, especially with the inevitable loss of beaches and beachfront property. It is recommended that a linkage be created between the environment and economics by showing that the Cape’s unique natural beauty is its primary appeal to residents and visitors alike. Incorporate into the local planning process consideration of the key natural and cultural resources of the Cape. Regarding private land, investigate the feasibility of providing financial incentives and advice to landowners to protect and manage key resources.

The importance of managing and protecting the Cape’s natural and cultural resources should be promoted by the framework established to implement the visitor management strategy. Educate the public on sea level rise and limit crowds at sensitive areas. The scientific establishments should be encouraged to translate their findings into ordinary language to educate residents and visitors on issues like sea level rise and also to assist planning agencies. Consider a “zone” system to allow intensive use of certain resources without damage to others.

Top of Page

©2002 Glynwood Center