Greenway (landscape)

For the pedestrian and cyclist network in Europe, seeVoie verte.

Golf course in theConcordianeighborhood, one of manyage-restricted communitieswith greenways inMonroe Township,Middlesex County,New Jersey,U.S.

TheHigh line,a rail-to-trail elevatedlinear park,is an urban greenway inManhattan.

Agreenwayis usually ashared-use pathalong a strip of undeveloped land, in an urban or rural area, set aside for recreational use or environmental protection.Greenways are frequently created out ofdisused railways,canaltowpaths,utility companyrights of way,or derelict industrial land. Greenways can also belinear parks,and can serve aswildlife corridors.The path's surface may be paved and often serves multiple users: walkers, runners, bicyclists, skaters and hikers.A characteristic of greenways, as defined by theEuropean Greenways Association,is "ease of passage": that is that they have "either low or zero gradient", so that they can be used by all "types of users, including mobility impaired people".

InSouthern England,the term also refers toancient trackwaysorgreen lanes,especially those found on chalkdownlands,likethe Ridgeway.

Definition

Jogging path inPori,Finland

Greenways are vegetated, linear, and multi-purpose. They incorporate afootpathand/orbikewaywithin alinear park.Inurban design,they are a component of planning forbicycle commutingandwalkability.The British organisationSustrans,which is involved in creating cycleways and greenways, states that a traffic-free route "must be designed on the assumption that everyone will use it", and measures taken "to assist visually and mobility impaired users".

The American author Charles Little in his 1990 book,Greenways for America,defines a greenway as:

A linear open space established along either a natural corridor, such as a riverfront, stream valley or ridgeline, or overland along a railroad right-of-way converted to recreational use, acanal,scenic road or other route. It is a natural or landscaped course for pedestrian or bicycle passage; an open-space connector linking parks, nature reserves, cultural features, or historic sites with each other and with populated areas; locally certain strip orlinear parksdesignated as parkway orgreenbelt.

The termgreenwaycomes from thegreeningreen beltand thewayinparkway,implying a recreational or pedestrian use rather than a typical street corridor, as well as an emphasis on introducing or maintaining vegetation, in a location where such vegetation is otherwise lacking. Some greenways include community gardens as well as typical park-style landscaping of trees and shrubs. They also tend to have a mostly contiguous pathway. Greenways resemblelinear parks,but the latter are only found in urban andsuburbanenvironments.

TheEuropean Greenways Associationdefines it as

Communication routes reserved exclusively for non-motorized journeys, developed in an integrated manner which enhances both the environment and quality of life of the surrounding area. These routes should meet satisfactory standards of width, gradient and surface condition to ensure that they are both user-friendly and low-risk for users of all abilities.

— Lille Declaration, European Greenways Association, 12 September 2000

Thoughwildlife corridorsare also greenways, because they have conservation as their primary purpose, they are not necessarily managed as parks for recreational use, and may not include facilities such as public trails.

Characteristics

Railway Platforms onParkland WalkinNorth London

Signposted greenway, bordering on an urban canal inNordhorn,Germany

Charles Little in his 1990 book,Greenways for America ", describes five general types of greenways:

• Urban riverside (or other water body) greenways, usually created as part of (or instead of) a redevelopment program along neglected, often run-down, city waterfronts.
• Recreational greenways, featuring paths and trails of various kinds, often relatively long distance, based on natural corridors as well as canals, abandoned rail beds, and public rights-of-way.
• Ecologically significant natural corridors, usually along rivers and streams and less often ridgelines, to provide for wildlife migration and species interchange, nature study and hiking.
• Scenic and Historic routes, usually along a road, highway or waterway, the most representative of them making an effort to provide pedestrian access along the route or at least places to alight from the car.
• Comprehensive greenway systems or networks, usually based on natural landforms such as valleys or ridges but sometimes simply an opportunistic assemblage of greenways and open spaces of various kinds to create an alternative municipal or regionalgreen infrastructure.

Greenways are found in rural areas as well as urban. Corridors redeveloped as greenways often travel through both city and country, connecting them together. Even in rural areas, greenways provide residents access to open land managed as parks, as contrasted with land that is vegetated but inappropriate for public use, such as agricultural land. Where the historic rural road network has been enlarged and redesigned to favor high-speed automobile travel, greenways provide an alternative for people who are elderly, young, less mobile or seeking a reflective pace.

“NO MOTOR VEHICLES E-BIKES E-SCOOTERS” sign posted on the Hudson River Greenway in New York City

Tom Turneranalyzed greenways in London looking for common patterns among successful examples. He was inspired by thepattern languagetechnique of architectChristopher Alexander.A pattern language is an organized and coherent set of "patterns", each of which describes a problem and the core of a solution that can be used in many ways within a specific field of expertise. Turner concluded there are seven types, or 'patterns', of greenway which he named:

• parkway:a landscapedthoroughfare.The term is particularly used for a roadway in aparkor connecting to a park from which trucks and otherheavy vehiclesare excluded.
• blueway:awater trail
• paveway: an upgraded pavement or sidewalk: "Well-designed paveways, with appropriate planting and street furniture, should be formed along main pedestrian desire lines".
• glazeway: a glazed passage linking buildings. Turner argues for their greater use in cities.
• skyway,skybridge, or skywalk is an elevated type ofpedwayconnecting two or more buildings in an urban area, or connecting elevated points within mountainous recreational zones.
• ecoway: linked green spaces orgreen corridor,including household gardens in a city.
• cycleway.

Foreshoreway

Chicago Lakefront Trail

"Oceanway" redirects here. For the neighborhood of Jacksonville, seeOceanway (Jacksonville).

In Australia, a foreshoreway (or oceanway)is a greenway that provides a publicright-of-wayalongthe edge of the sea,open to both walkers and cyclists.Foreshoreways resemblepromenadesandboardwalks.

Foreshoreways are usually concerned with the idea ofsustainable transport.A foreshoreway is accessible to both pedestrians and cyclists and gives them the opportunity to move unimpeded along the seashore. Dead end paths that offer public access only to the ocean are not part of a foreshoreway.

A foreshoreway corridor often includes a number oftrafficroutes that provide access along an oceanfront,including:

• walking along thebeach
• edge offoreshoreoff-road greenway
• edge of road off-road greenway
• on roadbikeway
• on road private vehicles routes
• on roadpublic transportcorridor

A major example is TheGold Coast Oceanwayalong beaches inGold Coast, Queensland,a shared usepedestrianandcyclistpathway on the Gold Coast, connecting thePoint Dangerlighthouse on the New South Wales and Queensland border to theGold Coast Seaway.The network includes 36 kilometres (22 mi) of poor, medium and high quality pathways. Others include: TheChicago Lakefront Trail,theDubai Marina,theEast River Greenway,New Plymouth Coastal Walkway,and theManhattan Waterfront Greenway.

Public rights of way frequently exist on theforeshoreof beaches throughout the world. In legal discussions the foreshore is often referred to as the wet-sand area (seeRight of wayfor a fuller discussion).

Linear park

Alinear parkis a park in an urban or suburban setting that is substantially longer than it is wide.Some arerail trails( "rails to trails" ), that are disusedrailroad bedsconverted to recreational use, while others use strips ofpublic landnext tocanals,streams,extendeddefensive walls,electrical lines,highwaysandshorelines.They are also often described as greenways.In Australia, a linear park along the coast is known as aforeshoreway.

Examples

Further information:List of cycleways

Asia

• Guangdong Greenway,Guangdongprovince,Chinaincluding much ofGuangzhoucity including theGuangzhou Higher Education Mega CenterinPanyu Districtprovides foot and bicycle paths along the Pearl River and other scenic areas.

Australia

• Gold Coast Oceanway
• Cooks River to Iron Cove Greenway

Canada

• Carrall Street Greenway,currently under development in Vancouver
• Central Valley Greenway,a 24-kilometre pedestrian and cyclist route through Metro Vancouver, running fromVancouvertoNew Westminster.
• Chrysler Canada Greenwayis a 42 km-long rail trail inEssex County, Ontario
• Grand Concourse (St. John's),200 kilometers (120 mi) of walkways linking every major park, river, pond, and green space in the Northeast Avalon region, ofNewfoundland.
• Trans Canada Trail;Newfoundland T'Railway
• Vancouver Greenway Network,a list of Vancouver City Greenways
• Welland Canal Parkway Trail,St CatharinesandPort Colborne,Ontario

Europe

• EuroVelocycle routes and theEuropean Greenways Associationroutes throughout Europe.
• Vía Verde del Pas,betweenEl AstilleroandPuente Viesgoin Spain
• RAVeL networkis an autonomous network of slow ways inBelgium.It is a network of itineraries reserved for pedestrians, cyclists, horse riders and people with reduced mobility.
• Waterford Greenwayis a Rail trail inCounty Waterford,Ireland,used for cycling and hiking.

New Zealand

• Otago Central Rail Trail

United Kingdom

• Ayot Greenway,Alban Way,andCole Green WayHertfordshire
• The Greenway,foot and cycle path inEast London,England
• TheRidgeway,foot and cycle path in South London, England
• Parkland Walk,a reclaimed railway line inNorth London

United States

• Anne Springs Close Greenwaya 2,100-acre greenway and recreation complex inFort Mill, South Carolina
• Boise River Greenbelt,a 20-mile-long (32 km) trail system inBoise, Idaho
• Brays Bayou,a bayou inHouston
• Capital Area Greenbelt,a twenty-mile greenway connecting neighborhoods, parks and opens spaces inHarrisburg, Pennsylvania
• Capital Area Greenway,one of the nation's oldest community greenway systems inRaleigh, North Carolina
• Cardinal Greenway,Indiana's longest span of recreational trails.
• Cherry Creek GreenwayinDenver
• Chicago Lakefront Trail,an 18-mile (29 km) walking, cycling, and running trail along the coast of Lake Michigan inChicago
• Bloomingdale Trail,a 2.7-mile (4.3 km) elevated linear park running east–west on the northwest side of Chicago Chicago
• Dequindre Cut,a greenway connecting to theInternational RiverfrontinDetroit
• East Coast Greenway,a trail being constructed along the Atlantic coast
• TheEmerald Necklace,a series of interconnected parks inBoston, Massachusetts,designed byFrederick Law Olmsted
• Grand Rounds Scenic Byway,a linked series of parks making a roughly circular path throughMinneapolis,
• Greater Grand Forks Greenway,large public park on the banks of theRed RiverandRed Lake RiverinGrand Forks, North Dakota,andEast Grand Forks, Minnesota
• High Line,New York City
• Lafitte GreenwayinNew Orleans
• Leon Creek Greenway,San Antonio, Texas,linking TheUniversity of Texas at San Antonioby foot and bicycle path toLeon Valleyand beyond.
• Little Sugar Creek Greenway,20-mile long greenway inMecklenburg County, North Carolina
• The Loop,a network of 7 linear parks encirclingTucson, Arizona,with over 100 miles of paved trails
• Manhattan Waterfront Greenway,a circumferential foot and cycle path around Manhattan Island.
• Maryville Alcoa Greenway,an eight mile long foot and cycle path extending from Maryville Intermediate School inMaryville, Tennessee,to the end ofSpringbrook ParkinAlcoa, Tennessee
• Midtown Greenway,five-and-a-half mile pedestrian and bicycle path through Minneapolis
• MillionMile Greenway,an organization and a system of connected greenways acrossmetro Atlanta,the state ofGeorgiaand theeastern United States
• Min Hi Line,linear park and trail that is repurposing a freight rail and agricultural-industrial corridor in Minneapolis
• Monadnock-Sunapee Greenway,50-mile mountainous trail in southwesternNew Hampshire(not a paved or shared-use path)
• Mountains to Sound Greenway,150 million acres of land surroundingInterstate 90fromSeattleacross the Cascade Mountains toEllensburg, Washington
• Niagara River Greenway Plan,along the US Niagara Frontier
• Ohio & Erie Canalway, follows the path of the originalOhio and Erie Canalin Northeast Ohio. A portion is maintained by the United StatesNational Park Serviceas a part ofCuyahoga Valley National Park.[1]Archived2015-07-13 at theWayback Machine
• Ohlone Greenway,in the East Bay region of theSan Francisco Bay Area
• Rahway River Parkway,along theRahway River,Union County, New Jersey
• Rachel Carson Greenway,in Maryland
• The River Ring,a system of connected greenways encirclingSt. Louis, Missouri
• Rose Kennedy Greenway,a series of parks and open spaces inBoston

See also

• Esplanade
• Green Bridge
• Landscape architecture
• Landscape planning
• Park system;Regional park;Urban park;Public park
• Rails with trails
• Trail
• Walking in London

Sources

• Fabos, Julius Gy. and Ahern, Jack (Eds.) (1995)Greenways: The Beginning of an International Movement,Elsevier Press
• Flink, Charles A. & Searns, Robert M. (1993)Greenways A Guide to Planning, Design and DevelopmentIsland Press
• Flink, Charles A., Searns, Robert M. & Olka, Kristine (2001)Trails for the Twenty-First CenturyIsland Press. Washington, DC.ISBN1559638192
• Hay, Keith G. (1994) "Greenways" The Conservation Fund. Arlington, VA.
• Little, Charles E.Greenways for America(1990) Johns Hopkins University Press
• Loh, Tracy Hadden et al. (2012)"Active Transportation Beyond Urban Centers: Walking and Bicycling in Small Towns and Rural America"Rails-to-Trails Conservancy. Washington, DC. (PDF retrieved 15 March 2012.)
• Natural England Greenways Handbook(PDF retrieved 15 March 2012.)
• Smith, Daniel S. & Hellmund, Paul Cawood. (1993)Ecology of Greenways: Design and Function of Linear Conservation Areas.University of Minnesota Press
• Turner, Tom (1995). "Greenways, blueways, skyways and other ways to a better London".Landscape and Urban Planning.33(1–3): 269–282.Bibcode:1995LUrbP..33..269T.doi:10.1016/0169-2046(94)02022-8.

External links

Media related toGreenwaysat Wikimedia Commons

• Central and Eastern European GreenwaysArchived2009-03-06 at theWayback Machine
• European Greenways Association
• Natural England, and their "Greenways and Quiet Lanes" project
• New England Greenway
• Guide to the International Greenways Resource Collection 1991-2011
• Rail-to-Trails Conservancy, USA
• Sustrans Greener GreenwaysArchived2014-11-29 at theWayback Machine