The application of the business models for scenic byway visual assessment and management is very useful. It allows for a flexible process that insures the quality and integrity of the area to be preserved while allowing for change. Some of the strongest principles of the business management models are: the expression of intent, the involvement of the stakeholder, the constant reevaluation and the establishment of barometers for success. There are, of course, some limitations to the application of business management processes. The primary limitation is the fact that within the business hierarchy, generally, the upper level management implements the process. In the case of this process, the stakeholders become the implementors. Cultivation of stakeholders who become truly committed to the process may be most crucial to the success of the project. Also, understanding the scenic byway as a commodity, the concept borrowed from the business management approaches, is crucial to success of the visual management model. Applying a model such as this to a scenic byway may be difficult if there are established processes already in place. Getting people to change from what they know to something unfamiliar requires effective education and a commitment from stakeholders. If the management processes in place are established by federal or state agencies, convincing the agencies that this alternative procedure may be successful can be also problematic. Proposed processes like this one are also difficult to implement due to existing mandates which require explicit justification that may need to hold up in a court of law. These difficulties and limitations offer direction for further research. Research must be done to put an actual scenic byway management project this process to see its effectiveness. Work on establishing trust and involvement of stakeholders is another area for continued research. The results of this thesis can be useful for Landscape Architects for determining their acquisition and application of certain skills. Landscape Architects need to be able to : - identify cultural and environmental processes at work through the visual evaluation of the landscape, - be well versed in the issues related to visual issues, and - recognize their role and effectiveness in design and planning processes Other applications for landscape architects that became clear in this work are: - an understanding that they need to learn to be leaders for relevant issues, - they must be involved with and educated in community design and development issues, Not just experts on resources, - they need to be skilled at running public workshops, including public presentations, - they must be sensitive to and able to identify community issues and values, and - they must be able to present and develop continuous evaluation methods to assure adaptability for change. / Master of Landscape Architecture

The stretch of California Route One (Highway 1) from the City of San Luis Obispo reaching north to the Monterey County line is one of the most scenic drives in the United States. This stretch of highway is a destination in its own right; so much so, the San Luis Obispo North Coast Scenic Byway is federally designated as an All-American Road, the highest scenic designation of any road or highway in the nation. There has been a history for funding the preservation and enhancement of these roads; however, it was removed in 2012. Even with the lack of current funding opportunities, the San Luis Obispo Council of Governments (SLOCOG) continues to recognize the importance of the corridor in attracting valuable tourism revenue thus commissioning this update and economic analysis. Through the economic analysis it was found that visitor spending in the byway region increased by 23% from over $500 million in 2006 to almost $656 million in 2012. In 2012, visitor spending related associated with scenic recognition and enhancement projects along the corridor was about $217,000 in direct revenue. As a result of research, outreach, and data analysis, this project did find that being scenic does make “cents.”