HIGHLANDER POINT: A GATEWAY - Floyd County Indiana

Greenways, Trails, & Parks 45GreenwaysGreenways are networks of land containinglinear elements that are planned, designed,and managed for multiple purposesincluding ecological, recreational, cultural,aesthetic, or other purposes compatiblewith sustainable land use. (Ahern, 1995)Greenways have a long history in theUnited States. Beginning with FrederickLaw Olmsted’s Emerald Necklace inBoston (1875-1895), cities, counties, andregions throughout the nation haveplanned and implemented greenways, trailsystems, and the linkage of regional parksthrough natural corridors (Ryder, 1995).In the late 1980’s a renewed interest ingreenway development was sparked by areport by the President’s Commission onthe American Outdoors. The Commissionpromotes a living network of greenways toprovide people with access to open spacesclose to where they live, and to linktogether the rural and urban spaces in thelandscape, threading through cities andcountryside like a giant circulation system(President’s Commission on the AmericanOutdoors, 1987).Pedestrian trail at an Indianapolis Greenway.Photo Source: Indy Greenway FoundationGreenways and trail systems emphasizespatial connectivity of natural systems inthe landscape by linking larger park areasthrough “fingers” or a “necklace” of green.Greenways can be described landscapesstructured by a ‘patch and corridor’ spatialconcept which includes corridors andstepping stones to connect isolatedpatches of open space while counteringthe effects of ecosystem fragmentation(Forman and Godron, 1986).A Greenway system for FloydCountyPeople need green space, parks and trailsfor many uses, including recreation, dogwalking, physical exercise, and even as analternative means of transportation whenpedestrian or bicycle paths are available.The area surrounding US 150 atHighlander Point is an ideal location to setup and implement these services andamenities. This section examinesgreenway planning and the implementation