Greenways: Connecting People and Places

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Greenways Connecting People and Places

• Clean Air Lecture Series
• Catawba College Center for the Environment
• May 4, 2004
• Charles A. Flink, FASLA

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Multi-Objective Greenways
Growth Management
Floodplain Management
Stewardship
Greenways
Alternative Transportation
Water Quality Protection
Economic Development
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Greenways as Green Infrastructure
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What is Infrastructure?

• The basic installations and facilities on which
  the continued growth of a community, state, etc.
  depend, (such) as roads, schools, power plants,
  transportation and communication systems."
• Webster Dictionary

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What is Green Infrastructure?

• The native/natural green spaces of our
  communities
• Creeks, streams, rivers lakes
• Forested lands
• Prairie lands
• Ridge lines
• Wetlands
• Habitats for native plants and animals
• The natural systems and ecological processes that
  sustain all life on our planet

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Why is Green Infrastructure Important?

• Defines our quality of life
• Shapes growth patterns
• Protects water resources
• Absorbs flood waters
• Cleans our air
• Is home to native species
• Determines our identity and sense of place

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Impact of Population Growth
America has grown by 20 million people in past 10
years
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The Rate of Population Growth
Within the next 40 years the US population will
increase by 100 million people - US Census Bureau
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Greenspace - An after thought
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Patterns of Growth
We are building a collection of neighborhoods -
not sustainable communities.
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The Green Infrastructure Response to Growth

• Save our Land
• Protect our Water
• Link us to community resources
• Define our quality of life
• Establish a legacy of stewardship

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Save Our Land
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Greenprints for Growth

• What is a Greenprint?
• Just as you would not build a house without a
  Blueprint, we should not continue to build our
  communities without a Greenprint.

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Gwinnett County Greenspace Plan
In the past 25 years, Gwinett County has grown by
600,000 people
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Shape Patterns of Growth
Protect natural resources and soften urban edges
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Northwest Open Space PlanLas Vegas, NV
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The Summerlin Model

• Summerlin is planned and developed in a manner
  that protects natural landscapes and provides
  quality open space for residents.

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Natural Resources(arroyos, washes, vegetation)
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Greenways in the Desert
www.lasvegasopenspace.com
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Protect our Water
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The Centers for Disease Control estimates that
nearly one million Americans become ill every
year, 900 of them fatally, because of polluted
drinking water. And these numbers are increasing.
How Safe is Our Drinking Water ?
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Impact of Urban Growth on Water Resources
While human population grows, fresh water supply
remains constant
Degraded streams and rivers leads to degraded
water quality for everyone.
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Charlotte-Mecklenburg County Greenway Plan
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Restoration of Silverbow Creek, Butte, Montana
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Restoration of Sand Creek,Denver, Colorado
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Restoration of Sand Creek,Denver, Colorado
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Reducing the Impacts of Flooding
Come Hell and High Water
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MSD Greenway Program
The highest and best use of floodplain land is
for the storage of flood waters
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Case Study Louisville, KY
Video Courtesy of MSD
Louisville Jefferson County Metropolitan Sewer
District
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MSD Greenway Program
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Connect us with the Outdoors, Popular
Destinations, and Each Other
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Our Link to the Outdoors?
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Underserved Populations?

• Children of America have few options within the
  current transportation system
• Elderly are also challenged in todays
  transportation system

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Degradation of Air Quality
50 of all air pollution comes from mobile
sources. (EPA)
We must reduce the number of vehicle miles
traveled in order to improve air quality
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Solutions to Transportation Congestion
Offer an equivalent quality choice
Improve transportation efficiency
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Birmingham Bikeway, Walkway, Greenway Program
Improving choice in transportation for Jefferson
and Shelby Counties
USX Realty invested 250K private funds to build
a community greenway for its new neighborhood.
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Reduce our Dependence on Oil as an Energy Source

• Implement conservation practices
• Eliminate all foreign oil from the domestic
  marketplace
• Fund and support new technologies that will
  result in new energy
• Focus on improvements in transportation
  efficiency through support of improved transit,
  bicycling and walking modes (Bike to Work)

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Heritage Education Campus
Light Rail System
Grand Canyon General Management Plan
Greenway System
Canyon View Information Plaza
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Grand Canyon Greenway
The Greenway is part of a new transportation
solution for Grand Canyon National Park
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Grand Canyon Greenway Phase 1
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Swift Creek Recycled Greenway, Cary

• Completed in 1994 95 of the greenway project
  was constructed using recycled post industrial
  and post consumer waste.

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Financing Greenways Investment and Return
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Trends in Real Estate Development
(Green Space) is the hot product today. Now,
you open up the new home guides, and everyone is
talking about green space. There is a sizeable
portion of the (housing) market to whom trees and
land are important, and theyre willing to pay
for it. David Gale, President of Gale
Communities Kansas City, MO
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Greenspace as an attraction to new home buyers
The Greenway lots were the first ones to sell.
The developer sold lots adjacent to the Greenway
for a 5,000 premium.
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Real estate values improve with proximity to
greenspace
National Homebuilders Association - residential
properties will realize a 10 to 20 gain in value
the closer they are located to greenspace
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Greenways Attracts Business and Industry
The way in which communities managed natural
resources matters to the business community.
Health care is one of the leading concerns of
American business
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Research Triangle Park, NC

• Investing in our greenway system has made us
  more competitive in the market place, and in fact
  is one reason that companies choose to locate in
  the Park.
• Elizabeth Rooks, Vice President for Development,
  Research Triangle Foundation of North Carolina

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Case Study Chattanooga, TN

• Our greenway system has been key to revitalizing
  our city and attracting new businesses.
• David Crockett, City Council Chair

Approximately 1 billion in new private sector
investment during past 10 years.
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Case Study Chattanooga, TN
The rebirth of an American city
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Greenspace Greenbacks ()
Greenway systems generate millions each year in
new revenue from local tourism operations. Many
systems will return 3 in revenue for every 1 in
expenditure invested.
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Greater Grand Forks Greenway Master Plan
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Greater Grand Forks Greenway
Revenue Projections
Fishing
Picnicking
Camping
Watch Wildlife
Skiing
Racing
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Annual Revenue Projections for Greenway
Base Dollars Total Dollars (multiplier
effect) Direct Revenue 28,860 50,148 Indirect
Revenue 600,660 1,081,188 Community
Revenue 8,580,863 15,445,553 Grand
Totals 9,209,383 16,576,889
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Indianapolis Greenways

• More than 2 million people used our greenway
  system last year -- thats more than those who go
  see the Colts, Indians, Ice and Pacers in one
  year, and all those sports teams are supported by
  public tax dollars.
• Ray Irvin, Director, Indianapolis
  Parks and Recreation

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What Kind of Community do we want to live in?

• Auto-oriented not sustainable
• Bikeable and walkable sustainable

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Communities of the 21st Century
Celebration, Florida
More than 50 of Americans surveyed in 1998 would
prefer to live in a village type community
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Conserve Greenspace
Conservation subdivisions provide a better
pattern of growth for communities
Traditional Subdivision
Conservation Subdivision
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Village of Greendale, WI
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Colvard Farms, Durham, NC
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What are Active Community Environments (ACEs)?

• Places that support promote physical activity
  for people of all ages and abilities
• Predominant features sidewalks, bikeways,
  trails, parks and other recreational facilities
• Close to where people live and work and are
  easily accessible

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Trails at Home and the Office
Colvard Farms Trail
American Tobacco Trail
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Health Management

• Greenways provide Americans with close to home
  access to facilities for health management

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Greenways Healthy Americans

• Surgeon General is asking American communities to
  install trail systems
• Presidents Council on Physical Fitness - build
  more trails

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Leaving a Legacy for Future Generations
To build a Greenway is to build a
Community Charles Little
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Five Things That Will Make a Difference in the
21st Century

• Modify the American Dream
• Stewardship vs. Consumption
• Compact Growth vs. Sprawl
• Assign Value to Greenspace
• Dedicate Ourselves to Healing the Planet

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A Unified Goal

• To promote sustainable development patterns, to
  improve our knowledge of the environment, to
  foster economically viable communities for the
  Twenty-First Century. To educate and inform
  Americans of the link between a healthy
  environment and quality living.

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Modify the American Dream
The traditional approach The Green Space Approach
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Consumption vs. Stewardship
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Sprawl vs. Compact Growth
Change the laws and programs that govern land
development in the United States
Promote patterns of development more consistent
with urbanizing nation
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Assign Value to Green Space
Greenways add economic value to every type of
landscape in the nation
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Dedicate Ourselves to Healing the Planet
Work to restore, renew, enhance and refresh the
American landscape
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Heal our Planet/Heal our World!

• Let us all Pledge to be part of the Solution

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Fundamentally, Greenways are about connections
between people and the land.
For more information www.greenways.com
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