For nearly 20 years, the Indianapolis Cultural Trail: A Legacy of Gene and Marilyn Glick has improved the quality of life for Indianapolis residents and shaped how people experience our city by connecting neighborhoods and cultural institutions, supporting and attracting local businesses, and creating vibrant experiences through gardens and public art.
This page highlights the Trail’s measurable impact over time through research, data, and community outcomes.
In June 2026, the Cultural Trail released a report titled “Indianapolis Cultural Trail: A Legacy of Gene and Marilyn Glick At 20,” which highlights the economic and community impact of the Cultural Trail from its initial groundbreaking in 2007 through 2024. The major finding of this report shows that the initial $63,000,000 investment in the first eight miles of the Cultural Trail has resulted in a $3,000,000,000 return on investment, shown through an increase in assessed property values along the Trail. The initial $63MM investment came from private philanthropy and federal transportation grants. Data, research, and analysis included in the report were conducted by JLP+D.
Previously, in 2015, the Cultural Trail released an initial impact report from the IU Public Policy Institute looking at the Cultural Trail’s impact on assessed property values and local businesses from 2007-2015, which found properties on or along the Trail increased their assessed value by $1B. In 2015, the IU Public Policy Institute also issued a brief titled “Reasons to Love the Indianapolis Cultural Trail: A Legacy of Gene and Marilyn Glick.”
Each report illustrates how the Cultural Trail continues to grow as a cultural, economic, and civic asset for Indianapolis and can serve as a model for communities and cities of all sizes.
