According to the Mississippi State Department of Health, Mississippi ranks last, or close to last, in almost every leading health outcome. These health disparities are significantly worse for those who have systematically faced obstacles to health due to their socioeconomic status, race, ethnicity, and geographic location, among others.
Riverside Rising seeks to build healthy communities by providing recreational activities, such as a trail system, that will support healthier lifestyles and overall wellness. Additionally, Riverside Rising will combine these activities with cultural experiences for residents and visitors alike by building an outdoor amphitheater near the Mississippi River in Rosedale and adding wayfinding signage along the trail system to promote the historical significance of the region.
Riverside Rising will partner with Bolivar County, the City of Rosedale, Mississippi Department of Transportation, Mississippi Development Authority, the Board of Mississippi Levee Commissioners, and the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks to designate the 15.5-mile loop consisting primarily of Old Peavine Road as a bike path and walking trail.
The trail will also run through Rosedale’s city limits towards the levee where Great River Road State Park is. The trail will loop around Lake Charlie Capps to provide consumers with additional recreational opportunities on or near the water.
Since there are no fitness centers or gyms in Rosedale, the trail will provide residents with a publicly maintained recreational asset at no cost to the consumer.
Generally, wayfinding is defined as an information system that guides people through a physical environment and enhances their understanding and experience of the space.
For the purposes of the trail system in Rosedale, Riverside Rising will use wayfinding signage along the trail to inform consumers about their whereabouts, but also to provide historical context for the area. For example, one of the wayfinding signs will provide the distance from Lake Charlie Capps to Great River Road State Park. All wayfinding signage will be branded for consistency and can be designed by the artists participating in Riverside Rising’s Artist Residency program if desired.
Riverside Rising will use Rosedale’s trail as the foundation to design a larger trail system throughout the four-county region. Since so many communities in the Delta region are considered “fitness deserts,” the availability of a biking and walking trail can become a lifeline for many residents to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
With increased connectivity between the four counties, Riverside Rising will also be able to attract cyclists from across the deep south and elsewhere to visit the region, ride the trails, and hopefully enjoy the culture and hospitality of the Mississippi Delta.
