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Greenways and Trails

Greenways and Trails

Greenways and Trails

Greenways and Trails













GREENWAYS DEFINED Greenway & Trails Defined Greenway & Trails Defined

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What is a greenway?

The term "greenway" largely originated in the US in the late 1980s and early 1990s, but it can be broadly applied to a range of environmental corridor, rail-trail, and integrated ecological projects. They are often developed in urban or modified landscapes.

Julius Gy. Fabos has defined a greenway as:

"corridors of various widths, linked together in a network in much the same way as our networks of highways and railroads have been linked. The major difference is that nature's super infrastructure - the greenway corridor networks - is pre-existent. The river valleys have been carved out over many thousands of years. Our linear coastal system with thousands of miles of barrier beaches, rugged cliffs, or extensive coastal wetland and floodplain systems have been formed by nature. This 'giant circulating system' identified by the US President's Commission (1987) is our greenway corridor network which needs to be treated with special care."

Others have defined a greenway thus:

  • "A street connected in a network throughout the City which is enhanced to provide a pleasant environment for pedestrians and cycling" www.city.vancouver.bc.ca/engsvcs/transport/plan/1997report/glossary.htm

  • "A linear open space; a corridor composed of natural vegetation. Greenways can be used to create connected networks of open space that include traditional parks and natural areas" www.smartgrowth.org/bibliographies/greenlit_search/glossary.html

  • "Greenways are routes, trails or natural corridors used in harmony with their ecological function. They foster the preservation of natural and cultural heritage, provide options for safe transportation, recreation and tourism, and encourage a healthier lifestyle. Greenways bring local people and businesses together with regional and state governments to work towards improvement of their communities" http://www.pragueviennagreenways.org/gw.html

  • "A linear park which may accommodate pathways principally for foot traffic and/or bicycles. Typically, greenways are planned along creeks, streams or rivers and managed as natural environments, or as sidewalks or bikeways along landscaped streets" http://www.hickorygov.com/publicdocs/masterplans/Hickory%20Horizons.pdf

  • "A greenway is a stand alone route for non-motorised traffic. Developed with the following objectives: to integrate facilities & increase environmental value and quality of life. Greenways encompass the following characteristics: suitability of width, slope & surface to allow secure appropriate use for a wide range of users including mobility impaired people. Greenways are often located on old railways, on towpaths, Roman roadway or old pilgrimage ways" (Declaration of Lille, September 2000) http://oevv-egwo.org/templates/home.php?page=1&lng=en


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"Greenway" vs "Trail"

What is the difference between a greenway and a trail? There is a large degree of overlap in many cases. It could be argued that the more that it includes surrounding ecological features and natural catchments, integrates social and cultural features, and connects people and their landscape, then the more that it is sounding like a greenway rather than just a trail project. A trail can be the actual pathway, towpath or low-key track that slots within a greenway corridor. A common feature of trails is that they generally cater for shared use by non-motorised travel such as by foot, bicycle, horse, ski, wheelchair or scooter.


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How does the Cooks River to Iron Cove GreenWay Compare?

In the case Cooks River to Iron Cove Greenway, Friends believes a greenway includes the following elements:

  • a linear corridor or trail, based based on a current or disused transport corridor and an associated waterway or linear natural corridor;
  • public access and linkage of parks and open space at no cost to the user;
  • emphasis on sustainable and contemporary environmental thinking: ecology and biodiversity, sustainable and active transport, and features that build community;
  • coordination and synergy between stakeholders and actions in the corridor;
  • encourages local residents to refocus on their neighbourhood and be directly involved in its environmental quality;
  • a motor vehicle-free linear "spine" active transport corridor continuously accessible such as by foot, bicycle, pair of skis, or wheelchair; and,
  • a pleasant location which enhances a "sense of place", livability and quality of life.

Click on the links to see examples of urban greenway projects in Australia, urban corridor projects in Sydney and examples of urban greenways overseas.



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GREENWAY EXAMPLES Greenway Examples Greenway Examples Greenway Examples

GreenWay 1 at Fassifern, soon after construction in 1996


 Australian Urban Greenways

The first trail/corridor project in Australia to name itself as a "greenway" was GreenWay 1 - a community pathway constructed over and/or alongside the former Toronto to Fassifern railway on the Central Coast of NSW. Work started in 1990 and was completed in 1995 (see photo). However , as discussed below, this project is more of a trail or rail-trail, than an integrated environmental corridor. As a rail-trail it is one of many that have been built in Australia before and since this time.

Although there is a wealth of trail projects in Australia that variously meet some of the urban greenway criteria mentioned above, foremost they are trail projects, with very few having an wholistic, multi-facetted corridor and catchment-based approach. The Friends believe that the Cooks River to Iron Cove GreenWay is fairly unique in Australia in that from its inception there has been a grass-roots push to develop a coordinated and integrated approach to both the corridor and its adjoining catchment. Where there is coordination across all aspects of the physical and ecological environment, the development of facilities and encouragement for sustainable transport, and cultural and community engagement. And all from a grass roots beginning, not imposed from above by Government!
AUSTRALIAN "GREENWAY" EXAMPLES: Australian examples of existing and evolving greenway-type corridor projects where there has been an integrated and wholistic philosophy could include the Great Kai'mia Way and Green Ring conceptual projects in Sydney, the Merri Creek Trail in suburban north of Melbourne. Click on the links to see more details on these projects


Great Kai'mia Way logo incorporating themes of the river corridor and local flora - the Gymea Lily (SSEC, 2003)

 Great Kai'mia Way, Sydney - is a vision for over two hundred kilometres of sustainable walking tracks and cycleways which would link Botany Bay, the Woronora valley, large parts of southern and western Sydney, and the Illawarra Escarpment.13 Three distinct trail/corridor proposals have put forward and developed by the Sutherland Shire Environment Centre (SSEC) and the Georges River Environment Alliance (GREA): the Georges River Way, the Woronora Way and the Botany Bay Trail. 12 The Great Kai'mia Way is a vision for integrating positive environmental and social outcomes in the catchments of Botany Bay and the Georges & Woronora Rivers (Sutherland Shire Environment Centre, 2004). Funding from the Georges River Foreshore Improvement Program enabled production of a visioning report titled Creating the Great Kai'mia Way - a catchment vision (SSES and GREA, December, 2003). Download the full report here (3.3MB). See on the Great Kai'mia Way

As is often the case with these sorts of projects in NSW, follow-up funding for the project project has lapsed following completion of the visioning report, with the current status of the project being uncertain. However, a number of sub-projects have been completed or underway under the umbrella of the Great Kai'mia Way, and one in particular the Botany Bay Trail project is now progressing, largely through community and volunteers efforts. See on this project.

Location of the Sydney Green Ring (MASSBUG/G.Grace, 2008)

 Sydney Green Ring Concept - the concept of a ring of "green corridors" around inner Sydney which would link a number of trail and corridor proposals including the Cooks River to Iron Cove GreenWay is being put forward by local artist Gilbert Grace and cycling advocates MASSBUG. The vision is to "identify a network of trails and active transport corridors that capitalise on existing and planned infrastructure and amenity. These trails will focus on culture and recreation and may or may not form part of existing transport / commuter planning."

According to the Sydney Green Ring presentation document:

"inclusion of cultural and artistic components in the form of interpretive signs, brochures, maps, a website with international languages, pre and post colonial histories, schools, retail outlets, etc., is integral to the proposal. It is proposed that the Sydney Green Ring would include the: Cooks River to Iron Cove GreenWay, Parramatta River Foreshore Pathway, NSW Coastal Trail, Botany Bay Trail, Cooks River Pathway, CBD to Airport Pathway, and Centennial Park to Botany Bay Trail. Many of these pathways exist or are in the planning stage but as yet are not identified in a coherent form as a network. The network would be identified through specific signage and iconic route markers."

Download the Green Ring Presentation document (500KB PDF).


Trail junction on the Merri Ck Trail

Merri Creek Trail, Melbourne - is a 20km trail that follows alongside Merri Ck, just to the North of Melbourne CBD, before feeding into the Yarra River. The Trail passes the CERES Community Environment Park, or Centre for Education and Research in Environmental Strategies. This is an award-winning 10-acre urban environmental centre located in urban Brunswick East. CERES received the 1996 Banksia Environmental Award for Education and Training, and has also received many other awards. The Trail also passes alongside a velodrome, meets the Western Ring Road Trail in the north and in the south joins the Yarra River Trail

Much work has gone into revegetation of the stream banks to remove riparian weeds, reinstate endemic native streamside vegetation and secure the banks from erosion. A recent review of the Trial has been completed and work has already begun on plans for bridge upgrades and a signage strategy. The comprehensive report was prepared by Darebin, Moreland and Yarra Councils in consultation with Victorian Government agencies including Melbourne Water, Parks Victoria and VicRoads. Community stakeholders including Merri Creek Management Committee, Friends of Merri Creek, Bicycle Victoria and local bicycle user groups were consulted at meetings and additional consultation with trail users and local residents was completed via a questionnaire. The report recommends works in excess of $5 million including new signage, alternative paths, a better maintenance system and upgrades to bridges, boardwalks and underpasses.

See the full trail review report on Merri Creek Trail.

URBAN CORRIDOR PROJECTS IN SYDNEY

A variety of corridor masterplans have been prepared in Sydney for a range of differing locations and objectives. These include:

Powells Ck at Homebush Bay (Clousten, 2003)


 Powells Creek Corridor - the Powells Creek "Harbour to Hinterland" Landscape Design Framework was a government initiative to revive the 30 hectare corridor of land surrounding the mostly channelised watercourse from the Strathfield Town Centre to the Parramatta River.

Community consultation undertaken 2002 by Elton Consulting for PlanningNSW under the Greater Homebush Living Centres program was largely driven by State Government and Council stakeholders. The Sydney Olympic Park Authority (SOPA) now has responsibility for coordination and implementation of the Design Framework. An issue considered in the preparation of the Powells Creek Landscape Design Framework by Clousten Associates in March 2003 was provision of pedestrian and cycling trail linkages to Sydney Olympic Park from the Strathfield area and pathway bridge crossings. A Steering Committee was formed in 2004 to guide the longer term planning, management and implementation of works and programs in the Powells Creek Corridor as identified in the Landscape Design Framework for a three year period.

Download Vol 1 Design Strategy and Implementation Plan here (7.0MB) and Vol 2 Research Analaysis and Consultation here (2.9MB)

Plan for cycle and pedestrian path at Alexandra Canal (South Sydney Dev. Corp, 2003)



 Alexandra Canal - the masterplan process for this heritage-listed innner urban waterway commenced in 1998 with the formation of a Project Management Committee. Nine government and Council agencies were represented on the Committee. There were no community nor NGO representatives on the committee. The aim of the project was to produce a guiding document that addressed all of the issues facing redevelopment of the Canal. According to the (then) South Sydney Development Corporation, "the Alexandra Canal Masterplan, launched in December 2000, provided a new vision for the Alexandra Canal and surrounding areas and a blue print to transform it into a major recreational and ecological asset, part of a green, regional spine linking the Cooks River with Sydney and Moore Parks."

Compared with the Cooks River to Iron Cove Greenway, the Alexandra Canal Masterplan process has been largely driven by State government. Due to the largely industrial nature of much of the land neighbouring the canal, the agency approach to masterplanning, and few neighbouring residents, there has not been the same "grass-roots up" push from the local community as has occurred with the GreenWay. However, this may build over time. For instance, Marrickville South Sydney Bicycle Group (MASSBUG) have recently included material on their web site on the Canal to help progress pathway development which is hoped will draw more people to the waterway. See on the MASSBUG web site.

In response to the vision provided by the masterplan, cycle and pedestrian paths were proposed. A three-stage development of a shared pathway alongside the eastern side of the canal was proposed in the Masterplan. Some sections of are now constructed, some still underway, and some being planned (including a pathway on the western side). Download a flyer explaining the Alexandra Canal Cycle and Pedestrian Path here (400KB).

Download the flyer for the Draft Alexandra Canal Masterplan here (75KB), and the Masterplan Map here (1.0MB) .

! Lend your support to rapid completion of the vital Alexandra Canal pathway by emailing the NSW  Planning Minister Frank Sartor.


A section of SydneyCENTRAL's environmental strategy for Parramatta Rd (SydneyCENTRAL, 2001)

 Parramatta Road Corridor - there have been a number of approaches over the years for revitalisation and planning along the Parramatta Road corridor. In the late 1990s a place manager was appointed for the corridor. In 2001 the SydneyCENTRAL design team headed by Choi Ropiha developed innovative design concepts for the 23km corridor and its revitalisation. The frontispiece of their concept booklet published in 2001 stated:
    "Twenty three kilometres of decay and unresolved potential smack in the middle of the demographic heart of Sydney - it's Australia's biggest missed opportunity for urban renewal. We invite you to read this booklet and share our vision for the future of Sydney."

The SydneyCENTRAL team put forward a concept of "green fingers" reaching to the habour from the south, one of which was the GreenWay corridor (refer image at left). Unfortunately, little of this fresh vision was carried forward into the more recent Parramatta Road sector studies. The State Government in 2004 provided $1million in funding to Councils along the corridor "to carry out planning work to help revitalise the corridor". According to the Planning Minister Knowles' press release..."The funding is part of an initial $2million allocation by the Government to explore development and renewal opportunities along Parramatta Road. Mr Knowles said the funding meant that the Government was sending a clear message that it was serious about revitalising Parramatta Road. “The renewal of existing areas in the city is one of the nine directions in the Metropolitan Strategy Discussion Paper I released recently. “Parramatta Road has been identified as a critical element in responding to the growth and change that we will experience over the next 30 years,” he said. “Sydney’s population is growing and an upgraded Parramatta Road corridor could accommodate a significant share of Sydney’s growth. “The Parramatta Road Taskforce met today to consider integrated (our emphasis) land use and transport options that could help to revitalise Parramatta Road. This funding will be available to Councils to assist them with their planning work in each precinct.”

As has been the case with the GreenWay vision in a number of instances, the GreenWay was the boundary between the "Sector 1" and "Sector 2" studies (neither of which were publicly released). However, it is understood that neither Sector report acknowledged the GreenWay corridor nor the importance of the north-south environmental corridors crossing the Parramatta Road corridor. Active transport was only briefly mentioned and cycling not at all. It is understood that the final reports may have rectified these deficiencies (largely through comments submitted by the GreenWay Councils). For more details refer: Planning NSW(cached site, 2003); Urban Improvement Program (PDF, 2003).

Since the studies and reports mentioned above, the NSW Government has not made publicly available any material to view on future planning of the Parramatta Road corridor or the status of recommendations contained in the Sector studies.


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Urban GreenWays Overseas

According to Jongman & Pungetti:

"the establishment of ecological networks in Europe and greenways in America has required some of the most advanced applications of the principles of landscape ecology to land use planning"

EUROPE: In Europe there is a comprehensive system(s) of greenways developed under the overall banner of the Eurovelo network. They have produced the European Greenways Good Practice Guide. Download a copy of the guide here (3.8MB). There are extensive greenway and trail systems through 25 countries in Europe. The European Greenways Observatory provides an easy web guide to search for greenways in each country.

Greenway organisations have been established in many European countries, particularly since the European Greenways initiative was established in the latter part of the 1990s and into 2000. See the Links page for a full listing.


Signage along the one of the Prague-Vienna greenway trails (PVWA web site, 2005)

Hungary - An example of a new European greenway network being developed is the Prague-Vienna Greenways System. These greenways were created by a group of preservation enthusiasts after the 1989 Hungarian revolution. They realized that in the new free market economy, with its rapid and "environmentally careless economic development", the architectural monuments and the surrounding countryside of the region were in great need of help. They formed a not-for profit civic organization, Greenways/Zelene Stezky (GWZS), in 1992. Echoing the Cooks River to Iron Cove GreenWay situation, they created a partnership of twelve mayors and their towns, and inspired and supported the grass-roots initiatives. Recently, GWZS became a program of the Environmental Partnership for Central Europe (now known as the Environmental Partnership for Sustainable Development) in Brno, developing a model for sustainable regional development through projects that preserve the natural and cultural heritage that make each community unique."

Download a brochure (PDF 1.4MB) showing selected community projects as part of the Prague-Vienna Greenways.

The Thames, East London. From East Grid Primer (GLA, 2006)

London - Similarly to the Cooks River to Iron Cove GreenWay, but at a metropolitan scale, is the multi-functional network of green spaces for the eastern half of London being developed as the East London Green Grid Project. The vision of the project is, according to Greater London Council, to "create a network of inter-linked, multipurpose open spaces with good connections to areas where people live and work, public transport, the GreenBelt and the Thames. This will be a richly varied landscape that will include diverse uses to appeal to all" (Greater London Authority, East London Green Grid Primer, 2006). According to Mayor Ken Livingston the Green Grid will:

"...offer scope for solitude and sociability, physical activity and engagement with nature. By catering for a range of expectations and by addressing the environmental challenges ahead, it will grow to become the living thread that weaves together London and the communities of East London - new and old"

Elements and themes of the Green Grid that are similar to those being supported by Friends for the GreenWay include:

  • open space connectivity
  • public transport, and
  • diversity

Download the East London Green Grid Primer here (1.5MB).


NORTH AMERICA: In the United States there are many "greenway" projects in both name and scope/characteristics, including:

Section from Detroit's urban greenWays netwrok plan. (The Greenways Collaborative Inc., 2006)

Detroit - the Southeast Michigan Millennium Greenways Trail aims to connect the seven counties of rural and suburban fringe of Detroit with the industrial and business centre. The Trust for Public Land has assisted by acquiring the land and holding it off the market while funding can be obtained to bring sections of the trail into public ownership and the greenway incorporated into their own park and trail systems. The metropolitan part of this greenways program is the Detroit Greenways , primarily an agglomeration of urban greenway trails throughout the metropolitan area of Detroit.

In some ways this is similar to the East London Green Grid project, and the trail component similar to the Metropolitan Recreation Trails Network in Sydney. The Detroit Greenways network utilises streets, disused railway land, as well as off-road pathways combined with tree plantings and landscaping alongside the pathway network. Approximately US$100 million ($110M AUD) has been invested in the design and the building of the Detroit Greenways in the five year period 2000 to 2005.

Download the City of Detroit GreenWays Workshop Map here (high res. PDF 1.7MB).

Another part of Detroit's greenways network of on-road and off-road routes that connect parks and including landscape plantings is the Southwest Detroit and Dearborn Greenway. This will create a 10-foot (approx. 3m) wide path for pedestrian and bike use.  The vision of the Southwest Detroit/Dearborn Greenway is to "connect people to the unique nature, recreational opportunities, and cultures of our communities". Like the Merri Creek trail, it will link with a major envionmental restoration project, in this case a newly opened $1 billion environmental restoration at the Ford Rouge manufacturing complex.


Plan of the River Ring ((Great River Greenway District, 2004)

St Louis River Ring - at St Louis, combining a number of greenway and river corridor projects and a single banner. The Green Ring project being mooted for Sydney (see above) has very similar features to the River Ring project, albeit at a smaller scale. According to the project summary, the St Louis River Ring is "a well-planned, interconnected system of greenways, parks and trails in St. Louis County, St. Charles, County and the City of St. Louis. The River Ring will enhance the St. Louis area and redefine it as a region of clean, green and connected communities. Building The River Ring: A Citizen-Driven Regional Plan is a working document that serves as a longterm framework. It reflects a community vision as well as an ambitious set of goals, opportunities and strategies that will be fully realized over several decades. The plan includes all current Great Rivers Greenway projects, which will be completed in the next several years. To reflect the changing face of the region and the possibility of more counties joining Great Rivers Greenway, the plan will be reviewed and updated every five years."

Download the River Ring summary here (PDF 7.6MB)


Section of the Hudson River (NY State, 2004)

New York - The Hudson River Greenways Program is one of the highest profile and most comprehensive greenway projects in the US. Through voluntary participation in the Greenway community planning program, communities in thirteen counties in the Hudson River Valley can receive technical assistance and funding for local land use planning projects which support the goals of the Greenway program. The Hudson River Valley Greenway Act of 1991 creates a process for voluntary regional cooperation among the 242 communities in the Hudson River Valley from Waterford in Saratoga County to Battery Park in Manhattan. There are a number of grant programs available through the Greenway Conservancy for the Hudson River Valley Inc.5 To May 2007, a total of 564 miles (~900km) of trail have been established as part of the greenway system, with 213 miles (340km) of this being riverside trails, 147miles (235km) being NYS Bike Route 9, and 156 miles (250km) of Hudson River Watertrail. 6 See on this project

Download the Hudson River Valley GreenWay Compact and Greenway Communities map here (PDF 1.4MB); and the Trail Vision Plan here (PDF 13.0MB)


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