Have you networked?
A greenway, open space and trail network connects people to nature, each other, village and town centers, parks, historic sites, and the other resources found in your community. It also helps connect us to ourselves by providing pportunities for quiet time and reflection. Is your community connected? Individual health is promoted by providing opportunities for walking, bicycling and jogging; but providing green infrastructure also promotes community health by increasing the quality of life, contributing to economic development, providing an alternative means of transportation, protecting landscapes, and protecting wildlife habitats. SSM can help you network by planning with you for greenways, open space, and trails.



Planning a greenway, open space and trail network provides opportunities for your residents and visitors to stretch their legs, but is also vital to protecting natural resources and can contribute to economic revitalization, and encourage tourism. Such planning can be done as a component of a comprehensive plan or as a stand-alone plan. A greenway is a corridor of open space, and can take the form of a conservation greenway, recreational greenway, riparian buffer, landscape corridor, or greenbelt around a developed area. Ideally, there will be a continuous system of greenways planned throughout the community.

The network plan itself includes an inventory of existing resources, a vision, mapping of the network and destinations, and an action program to realize the vision. The action program is critical to implementing the plan, and typically includes recommendations for zoning and subdivision and land development ordinance amendments to protect open space and facilitate completion of the trail system, official mapping of target open areas, recreational facilities, and trails, and other greenway preservation and trail construction strategies.

SSM's services include preparing conceptual trail plans and greenway and open space components as part of comprehensive plans; preparing stand-alone plans; rails-to-trails planning; designing walking, bicycling and equestrian trails in master park plans; designing elements of trails, such as pedestrian bridges; preparing official maps; and drafting ordinance amendments.



For more information
Glenn Neuhs, AICP- glenn.neuhs@ssmgroup.com