Greenway Planning

Greenways are corridors of undeveloped land, which are set aside or used for recreation and/or conservation. Greenways often follow natural land features, such as ridges or streams, or parts of the human landscape, such as abandoned railways or canals. Greenways can be used for multi-use trails, pedestrian trails, and/or biological corridors. They are an important tool for protecting wildlife habitat, trees and forests, water quality, and downstream properties from excessive erosion and flooding.

Effective greenway planning should involve many participants including communities, developers, landowners, community groups, and local businesses. Many greenways naturally extend beyond a single municipality's boundary, so it's a good idea to involve adjacent municipalities, if possible.

Communities and developers can plan and reserve land for greenways through a number of different strategies. Communities can acquire park land through subdivision and site plan exactions, as long as it is tied clearly to a comprehensive plan. They also may acquire land in floodplains to create a greenway network that would not be economically impacted by expected flood events.

Developers can integrate greenways into their landscape plans linking residential areas to adjoining parks, greenways, and open spaces. Communities may also use public rights-of-way for greenways and work with private companies to gain access to private rights-of-way, such as utility and railway corridors. Local businesses and community organizations can adopt sections of the greenway to keep it free from litter and ensure its protection.