Contributions of watercourse-associated greenways to green infrastructure: a comparison between two case studies in Arizona and Maryland, USA

Authors

Margaret Livingston, University of Arizona, School of Landscape Architecture and Planning
David Myers, University of Maryland, Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture

DOI

https://doi.org/10.7275/fabos.855

Publication Date

2010

Abstract

Greenways have historically played a significant role in the development of green infrastructure design and planning. As one of the many components of greenways, vegetated buffers along urban and suburban watercourses are typically well-suited for recreational uses such as biking, walking trails and wildlife-viewing. However, development pressures in cities and suburban environments can lead to fragmented and redirected watercourses to accommodate other land uses. In some cases, unplanned access increases erosion and loss of vegetation and potential wildlife habitat in these areas. It is critical for future conservation of these natural and restored areas that appropriate access be explored. This paper presents two case studies of watercourse-associated greenway development in two distinctly different regions, arid and temperate, and compares the approaches and contributions to green infrastructure in their respective regions.

Recommended Citation

Livingston, Margaret and Myers, David (2010) "Contributions of watercourse-associated greenways to green infrastructure: a comparison between two case studies in Arizona and Maryland, USA," Proceedings of the Fábos Conference on Landscape and Greenway Planning: Vol. 3: Iss. 1, Article 34.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.7275/fabos.855
Available at: https://scholarworks.umass.edu/fabos/vol3/iss1/34