About Greenways
Greenways are sometimes defined as linear parks, sometimes as trails for walking, bicycling and other activities, and sometimes as both. As the Great Smoky Mountains Regional Greenway Council, we’re concerned mainly with the trails and the opportunities they provide for transportation and recreation. But we recognize the importance of preserving linear parks without trails as well.
Here are some resources relating to greenway planning, design and signage:
Greenway Guidelines for the East Tennessee Region has information about greenway design and amenities for design professionals, trail activists and novices alike. Before and after images show how trails function in different settings across East Tennessee, and a Visual Index provides guidance on surface materials, lighting, signs, and more.
The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) has produced Greenways 101: General Advice for the Development of a Hard-Surfaced Greenway Project.It's full of useful information about how to plan, design and fund greenways in Tennessee.
At the July 2015 meeting in Maynardville, we heard from Chuck Morris with Rural USDA about plans for extending and linking the trail system around Norris Lake. Chuck shared this presentation.
Graphics 101: Inviting and Igniting Greeway Use
An article from the Tennessee Recreation and Parks Association on the benefits of greenway signs >>
Greenway Design and Physical Activity >>
View usage statistics for selected greenways 2009-2014 >>
(update posted 9-16-2014)
Read about the many benefits of greenways >>
Bearden Village Greenway
UT Associate Professor Gene Fitzhugh studied the Bearden Village Greenway in Knoxville and found an increase in walking and bicycling in the neighborhood. His research was recently published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
