Functions and Benefits of Urban Greenways

Urban greenways can offer important benefits to the communities in which they are located.  Environmentally, they help protect vital ecological processes and resources by buffering different land uses, filtering pollutants, connecting fragmented habitats, and slowing the movement of flood waters.  Greenways also provide safe, convenient, and pleasant routes for pedestrian and bicycle travel.  The use of greenways for non-motorized transportation can lead to the additional environmental benefits of reducing fossil fuel use and improving air quality.  Greenways also offer opportunities for recreational activities such as walking, jogging, and bicycling.  Such activities can have important health benefits, including reduced risk of heart disease, hypertension, and diabetes.  Economically, greenways benefit communities by attracting new development and tourism, raising property values, and reducing public expenditures for natural hazard control. Additionally, greenways can help preserve historic and cultural sites and improve the aesthetic quality of neighborhoods.  Greenways can also be valuable educational resources, providing accessible places to study the natural environment.  Finally, urban greenways promote community pride and solidarity and help foster an environmental ethic. 

Top Objectives for New Greenways in Providence     

Recreation

An important objective for new greenways in Providence is recreation.  Recent surveys have found that walking is the second most popular outdoor recreational activity among Providence residents (after sightseeing), with 48% participating.[1]  In many neighborhoods, the demand for safe and pleasant walking areas is not being met.  In addition, a recent study conducted by the Providence Parks Department found that the city has a 300-acre shortage of usable park and recreation space, based on standards set by the National Recreation and Park Association.[2]  New greenways could play a crucial role in correcting this deficiency, as large tracts of undeveloped land are extremely scarce in the city.  

The case for new recreational greenways is also supported by demographic trends and projections.  Among the most important demographic trends nationwide and in Providence are an aging population base and an increase in racial and ethnic diversity.  These trends are expected to continue into the future.[3]  One result of an aging population base will probably be increased demand for trails, as less vigorous activities such as walking, biking, and nature observation are popular among the elderly.  The growth of minority groups may also lead to an increased demand for recreational trails.  Although little data on the outdoor recreational preferences of different ethnic and racial groups is available, one study found that Hispanic Americans participate in recreational walking at a greater rate than whites.[4]  Finally, the gap between richer and poorer Providence neighborhoods is widening, and, as stated in the Providence Park, Recreation, and Open Space Plan, it is crucial to ensure that low-income areas have access to adequate recreational facilities.  Greenways, which are accessible to more people than single, non-linear parks, could play a major role in meeting this goal.     

Transportation

Another top objective for a Providence greenways system is transportation.  In most areas of the city, the demand for alternatives to automobile commuting is high.  The Providence Planning Department is currently working toward meeting this demand by developing a citywide bikeway plan.  Although this system will be a significant enhancement to the city, some residents may be uncomfortable traveling along the on-road routes.  Some residents may prefer walking to bicycling for other reasons.  According to the 1990 U.S. census, 7,215 pedestrians walk to work each day in Providence.[5]  Unfortunately, Providence streets are not known for pedestrian safety.  A recent national report by the Surface Transportation Policy Project ranked the Providence metropolitan area as the fourth most dangerous place in the nation for pedestrians.[6]  New greenways in the city could help mitigate this problem by providing safe, convenient, and pleasant connections between residential areas, places of employment, schools, shops, and other activity centers.  

Environment

Restoration and protection of the environment is another important objective for new greenways in Providence.  Although heavy human use of greenways can potentially disturb wildlife and degrade the natural environment, limiting public access to sensitive areas can usually mitigate this conflict.  With carefully designed trails, greenways in Providence could effectively preserve some of the city’s last remaining wild areas.  Such areas provide habitat for birds and small mammals, while also performing important ecological functions.  One of the most important of these functions is stormwater retention.  Providence has a history of severe flooding, dating back to the 1600s.[7]  Most of the city’s floodplains have been developed extensively for industrial and residential uses.  Greenways along the Woonasquatucket, West, and Moshassuck Rivers could help retain flood waters and thereby protect property from flood damage.  Finally, the city is a serious nonattainment area for national ozone standards.  Use of greenways for pedestrian or bicycle transportation could help reduce automobile use and thereby improve air quality. 

Support for a Providence Greenways System

Providence Comprehensive Plan

Although the Providence 2000 Comprehensive Plan does not mention greenways per se, the plan does provide strong support for the goals of expanded outdoor recreational facilities, increased alternative transportation opportunities, and conservation of natural resources.  In the “Open Space, Parks and Recreation Plan” section, the plan notes that Providence lacks sufficient space for outdoor recreation and recommends that the city expand the recreation system to include a variety of facilities which would serve all geographic areas.  More specifically, the plan recommends that pedestrian access to conservation areas be encouraged, that special consideration be given to the needs of the elderly, and that walking and jogging trails be promoted along waterways.[8]  

In the “Transportation, Parking and Circulation Plan” section, the plan sets forth the general transportation goals of reducing traffic and air pollution, decreasing the impacts of automobile traffic in residential areas, and improving access to centers of employment and commercial activity.  More specific policies include encouraging pedestrian travel by providing corridors and walkways and encouraging pedestrian access to the city’s waterfronts.[9]  The plan emphasizes the importance of protecting natural resources and the environment in the “Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Plan” section.  This section recommends that environmentally significant areas such as wetlands be protected, that the city work with the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management to develop riparian parks, and that alternative modes of transportation be encouraged in order to reduce air pollution.[10]  Finally, the “Land Use Plan” section emphasizes the need to preserve open space in the city’s neighborhoods and recommends the creation of open space corridors along the city’s rivers and ponds.[11]

Providence Park, Recreation, and Open Space Plan

Report number one of the Comprehensive Plan Series of Providence 2000, the Providence Park, Recreation, and Open Space Plan, provides further support for greenway development.  First, the plan notes the need to expand the city’s park system in order to correct its 300-acre deficiency.  The plan also reports that after sightseeing, walking is the most popular outdoor recreational activity in Providence, with nearly half of the city’s residents participating.[12]  The plan notes that most recreational walking occurs on city streets and that residents are increasingly demanding new walking trails within the park system.  One indication of this demand is the extraordinary popularity and heavy use of Blackstone Boulevard for walking and jogging.  The plan reports that during the boulevard’s peak season, an average of 1,200-1,400 people use the park daily on weekends and about 500-600 people daily on weekdays.[13]  Finally, the plan recognizes the need to preserve Providence’s remaining natural resources and recommends that the Parks Department take on a leading role in ensuring the preservation and enhancement of the city’s natural environment.[14]  

Providence Environmental Summit

Providence’s “Livable 2000” Environmental Summit, held in October 1999, provides further support for greenways in the city.  This conference was organized by the Environmental Protection Agency’s Urban Environmental Initiative, the City of Providence, and Brown University’s Center for Environmental Studies for the purpose of generating community input for the next edition of the Providence Comprehensive Plan.  Participants included representatives from local government agencies, from local environmental organizations, from the city’s neighborhood associations, and from local universities.  In workshops on Urban Rivers and Ponds and Greenspace and Openspace, there was unanimous agreement that Providence’s neighborhoods lack sufficient openspace and that the city’s waterbodies are underappreciated and frequently abused.  Participants suggested that the city create publicly accessible green buffers along all the rivers and establish more walking paths throughout the neighborhoods.[15]

A Greener Path

A Greener Path. . .Greenspace and Greenways for Rhode Island’s Future is the state’s 25-year plan for a statewide greenspace and greenway network.  The plan presents an ambitious vision for a 765-mile system of greenways, bikeways, and trails encompassing the entire state.  The plan also calls for a complementary system of local greenways.  By 2020, according to the plan, the web of greenways will extend to every community in Rhode Island so that every Rhode Island resident can access a greenway within fifteen minutes.[16]  The plan suggests that the development of greenways in urban areas should be a particular focus of efforts to reclaim greenspace.  According to the authors of the plan, extending the greenway network into low-income urban areas is essential to achieving a more equitable distribution of recreational greenspace.[17]  

Rhode Island Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan

Another source of support for greenways in Providence is Ocean State Outdoors: Rhode Island’s Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan.  This plan identifies over-usage of the state’s urban parks as a significant problem, noting in particular that Providence fails to meet facility, spatial, or service area standards for modern recreation systems.[18] The plan suggests that the growing populations of new immigrants in Providence don’t have the means to take advantage of the state’s abundant exurban recreational areas, noting that “For most urban residents, [local] parks represent their entire recreational universe, and in some urban neighborhoods, this universe can look bleak.”[19]  To mitigate such problems, the plan recommends the development of local greenways in cities, especially along the edges of rivers.  Finally, the plan supports environmental goals, advising the state to restore and protect riparian corridors for habitat, water supply, and environmentally-sensitive recreation.[20]    

Rhode Island Ground Transportation Plan

Transportation 2020, Rhode Island’s Ground Transportation Plan, offers support for the transportation functions of greenways.  The plan calls for the promotion of walking and bicycling as alternative transportation choices.  More specifically, the plan recommends the completion of a statewide bicycle and pedestrian network for commuter, recreational, and tourist use.[21]   Finally, the plan suggests that implementation of the state’s bicycle system should be accelerated and that the state should continue to offer grants to local governments and non-profit organizations for the development of greenways and trails.[22]