Greenways as Green Infrastructure

Charles A. Flink, Fellow, American Society of Landscape ArchitectsPresident, Greenways Incorporated

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

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

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

Multi-Objective Greenways

GreenwaysGreenwaysGreenways

Floodplain Management

Floodplain Floodplain

ManagementManagement

Growth Management

Growth Growth

ManagementManagement

StewardshipStewardshipStewardship

Water QualityProtection

Water QualityWater Quality

ProtectionProtection

EconomicDevelopment

EconomicEconomic

DevelopmentDevelopment

AlternativeTransportation

AlternativeAlternative

TransportationTransportation

Greenspace: An Afterthought in Community Planning & Development

Patterns of Growth Define our Communities

We are building a We are building a

collection of collection of

neighborhoods neighborhoods --

notnot sustainable sustainable

communities.communities.

Greenways can help Shape Patterns of Growth

The Value of Conservation

“Smart conservation is just as important as smart growth. Smart conservation is proactive, large-scale and coordinated. We need to think of open space as a form of infrastructure, just as we think of roads as infrastructure. It must be viewed as a necessity, not an amenity. It must be preserved through a public investment, not leftover money. And, it must be preserved as a connected, contiguous system, not fragmented and preserved in isolation.

– Ed McMahon, Senior Fellow, Urban Land Institute, 2005

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.”

Greenprints for Growth

Detroit

Metro

Kansas City

Metro

Case Study: Charleston, South Carolina

Charleston, SC

Charleston County Charleston County Charleston County Charleston County

Comprehensive Greenbelts PlanComprehensive Greenbelts PlanComprehensive Greenbelts PlanComprehensive Greenbelts Plan

Summary of Final Plan Recommendations

Charleston County • Greenways Inc • White & Smith, llc

Charleston Greenbelt Vision“Cities and Villages Surround by

Green”

Charleston County GreenprintProtect and Conserve 40,000 acres

Greenways connect us with the Outdoors, Popular Destinations, and Each Other

Benefits of Bicycling & WalkingQ: When you tour the nation,

what are people telling you they want changed in their communities?

A: People want alternative forms of transportation, they don’t want to own two or three cars. And they want green space, biking and walking paths, but they want the amenities too –access to shopping, restaurants, health care.

Interview with US DOT

Secretary Ray LaHood,

October 2009, AARP Bulletin

Solutions to Transportation Congestion

Improve Improve

transportation transportation

efficiencyefficiency

Offer an equivalent Offer an equivalent

quality choicequality choice

Underserved Populations?

• Children of America have few options within the current transportation system

• Elderly are also challenged in today’s transportation system

Case Study: Jacksonville, North Carolina

Jacksonville,

NC

Bicycle Commuter Percentages

Mode Share - Bicycling

Plan Maps

Onslow Drive

Case Study: Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

Grand Canyon

National Park, AZ

Grand Canyon General

Management Plan

Grand Canyon Grand Canyon

General General

Management PlanManagement Plan

Greenway SystemGreenway SystemGreenway SystemGreenway SystemGreenway SystemGreenway SystemGreenway SystemGreenway SystemCanyon View Information PlazaCanyon View Information PlazaCanyon View Information PlazaCanyon View Information PlazaCanyon View Information PlazaCanyon View Information PlazaCanyon View Information PlazaCanyon View Information Plaza

Light Rail SystemLight Rail SystemLight Rail SystemLight Rail SystemLight Rail SystemLight Rail SystemLight Rail SystemLight Rail SystemHeritage Education CampusHeritage Education CampusHeritage Education CampusHeritage Education CampusHeritage Education CampusHeritage Education CampusHeritage Education CampusHeritage Education Campus

Grand Canyon Greenway

5 million annual visitors are 5 million annual visitors are creating traffic jams, noise, exhaust creating traffic jams, noise, exhaust fumes and overcrowding. fumes and overcrowding.

Grand Canyon Greenway

2001 American Society of

Landscape Architects Merit

Award in Planning and

Design

Grand Canyon GreenwayThe Greenway is part of a The Greenway is part of a

new transportation new transportation

solution for Grand solution for Grand

Canyon National ParkCanyon National Park

Grand Canyon Greenway

Greenways Protects our Water

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.

Impact of Urban Growth on Water Resources

Degraded streams and Degraded streams and

rivers leads to degraded rivers leads to degraded

water quality for everyone.water quality for everyone.

While human While human

population grows, population grows,

fresh water supply fresh water supply

remains constantremains constant

Charlotte-Mecklenburg County Greenway Plan

Greenways: Protecting Source Water

Greenways: Protecting Source Water

Reducing the Impacts of Flooding

““Come Hell and Come Hell and

High WaterHigh Water””

• Each year, on average, 100 Americans die and more than $2 billion in damages is caused from flooding of communities.

• 90% of all US natural disasters result from flooding.

• Flooding of homes and businesses is preventable through proper community planning and development.

Source: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 2005

Cost of Flooding

Case Study: Louisville, Kentucky

Louisville, KY

Greenprint: Louisville, KY

Louisville & Jefferson Louisville & Jefferson

County Metropolitan County Metropolitan

Sewer DistrictSewer District

MSD Greenway Program

C OR N ERSTO N E

2 0 2 0Louisville and Jefferson

County Comprehensive Plan

Phase 3 Implementation:

DRAFT

Article 13

FloodplainRegulations

July 1996

A pr oject of the Gr eenways

Advisory Committee

Funded by the Metr opolitan

Sewer District

Louisville & Jefferson County Multi-Objective StreamCorridor/Greenway Plan

LEGALINSTRUMENT

MSD Greenway Program

The highest and best The highest and best

use of floodplain use of floodplain

land is for the land is for the

storage of flood storage of flood

waterswaters

Case Study: Grand Forks, North Dakota

Grand Forks, ND

Grand Forks GreenwaySpring 1997

Grand Forks Greenway

Greater Grand ForksGreater Grand ForksGreater Grand ForksGreater Grand ForksGreater Grand ForksGreater Grand ForksGreater Grand ForksGreater Grand Forks

Greenway Master PlanGreenway Master PlanGreenway Master PlanGreenway Master PlanGreenway Master PlanGreenway Master PlanGreenway Master PlanGreenway Master Plan

Cabelas, East Grand Forks, MN

Greater Grand Forks Greenway

Revenue ProjectionsRevenue Projections

FishingFishing CampingCamping PicnickingPicnicking Watch WildlifeWatch Wildlife

Skiing Racing

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

Base DollarsBase Dollars Total Dollars Total Dollars

(multiplier effect)(multiplier effect)

Direct RevenueDirect Revenue $28,860$28,860 $50,148$50,148

Indirect RevenueIndirect Revenue $600,660$600,660 $1,081,188$1,081,188

Community RevenueCommunity Revenue $8,580,863$8,580,863 $15,445,553$15,445,553

Grand TotalsGrand Totals $9,209,383$9,209,383 $16,576,889$16,576,889

Annual Revenue Annual Revenue

Projections for Projections for

GreenwayGreenway

Grand Forks Greenway

50,000 attended first

Greenway Day in 2003

Grand Forks Greenway, N. Dakota

Grand Forks Greenway -Press

Greenways: Investment & Return

Greenways Attracts Business

The way in which The way in which

communities communities

managed natural managed natural

resources resources

matters to the matters to the

business business

community.community.

Health care is one of Health care is one of

the leading concerns of the leading concerns of

American businessAmerican business

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

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

Greenspace as an attraction to new home buyers

The developer sold

lots adjacent to the

Greenway for a

$5,000 premium.

The Greenway

lots were the first

ones to sell.

Greenspace = Greenbacks ($)

Greenway systems generate Greenway systems generate

millions each year in new millions each year in new

revenue from local tourism revenue from local tourism

operations. Many systems operations. Many systems

will return $3 in revenue will return $3 in revenue

for every $1 in expenditure for every $1 in expenditure

invested.invested.

Case Study: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA

Northern Delaware River Greenway

Northern Delaware River Greenway

Northern Delaware River Greenway

Northern Delaware River Greenway

Northern Delaware River Greenway

Case Study: Miami River Greenway

Miami, FL

Miami River Greenway, Florida

2001 Award of Excellence

NC Chapter of ASLA

Miami River Greenway Florida

Miami River Greenway, Florida

Miami Riverwalk, Florida

Fundamentally, Greenways are about connections between people and the land.

Greenways can be used to restore the important functional qualities of natural infrastructure

Greenways can educate new generations about the importance of a sustainable lifestyle

Greenways Leave a Legacy for Future Generations

“To build a Greenway is

to build a Community”

Charles Little

““To build a Greenway is To build a Greenway is

to build a Communityto build a Community””

Charles LittleCharles Little