Greenways Systems in Metropolitan Regions as the Alternative for Sustainable Transport Development

Greenways as linear open spaces in the landscape, planned for multiple usage, can perform significant ecological and social functions as for example: increasing biodiversity, protecting water resources, urban flood damage reduction, wildlife protection, serving as recreational, easy accessed public spaces. Their linear configuration provides an opportunity to unify parts of metropolitan regions dispersed as a result of urban sprawl. Greenways constitute linkages across landscape patches in different planning scales (city, suburbs, exurbs and hinterland scales) for various uses compatible. They help to assist in the revitalization of urban derelict lands, and to change former industrial centres into mixed-use public open spaces oriented to tourism and recreation. The objectives of the paper are: to explore the concept of multi-function of greenways through studies of selected examples of metropolitan areas and to present opportunities to implement urban greenways in local and metropolitan scales. The case studies are analyzed in terms of: location and geographical environment, neighbourhood land, ecological, social and other functions (with emphasize on environmental sustainability). The research results include recommendation for ecologically and socially sensitive development of greenways as the alternative for sustainable transport in highly urbanized environments