Greenways can offer important environmental and social benefits to urban communities. Recognizing the value of greenways, cities across America have initiated hundreds of greenway projects in the past few decades. Some cities have developed comprehensive citywide greenway networks to meet the outdoor recreation, environmental protection, and non-motorized transportation needs of their residents. Although Providence has a respectable foundation of several existing and planned greenways, many of them are isolated from other greenways, and their spatial distribution does not encompass the entire city.

The objective of this thesis was to investigate the feasibility of developing a fully interconnected citywide greenways system for the city of Providence. Meeting this objective involved several research steps. First, I reviewed official city documents and interviewed city residents to determine whether there was local support for a greenway system. I also examined historical documents to find out whether there was any precedent for an interlinked greenway network. Another important step was to research existing, developing, and planned greenway projects in the city. After this, I looked for opportunities for new greenways. This process involved reviewing the Rhode Island State Greenways Plan, researching past academic and government greenway studies, examining city maps, interviewing local residents, and exploring the city by car and on foot. Finally, I investigated implementation and maintenance strategies by reviewing the greenway literature and interviewing local organizations and city officials who have been involved with other greenway projects.

My major findings are the following. There is ample local support for a Providence greenways system among city agencies, organizations, and residents. There is strong historical precedent for an interlinked greenway network in the ambitious plans of the Metropolitan Park Commission dating back to the first decade of the 20th century. My inventory of current existing, developing, and planned greenways found eight greenways scattered throughout every major geographic section of the city except the North End. I identified four opportunities for new greenways: the Moshassuck River, Roger Williams Park to Narragansett Landing, Pleasant Valley Parkway to the Woonasquatucket River, and the West River. Of these four, the West River, located in the North End, is the most promising location for a new greenway. I conclude that a West River Greenway would help complete the framework for a spatially comprehensive greenway infrastructure for Providence. The completion of this framework could then help catalyze the development of the remaining missing linkages that are needed to complete the city's greenway network. I therefore recommend that Providence develop the West River Greenway as the next step toward realizing the vision of a citywide greenways system.