Bayou Greenways Park is part of a decade-long project building 172 miles of connected greenways around the city of Houston.
"[Y]ears of greener urban development led to this week’s opening of Bayou Greenways Park" in Houston, writes Andrew Dansby in the Houston Chronicle, adding another green spot to Houston's freeway-dominated downtown. "Bayou Greenways Park serves as a hub of sorts for Bayou Greenways 2020, a much larger, more ambitious 172-mile project that is roughly 122 miles into completion, with parks and paths around Brays, Buffalo, Greens, Halls, Hunting, Sims and White Oak Bayous, as well as the West Fork of the San Jacinto River."
Bayou Greenways "was designed to provide equitable access to park space across different parts of the city" and connect "neighborhoods via passageways that don’t require automobiles." But connecting the new greenways poses a major logistical challenge. Barron Wallace, Houston Parks Board chairman, says "getting a city to execute a plan like Bayou Greenways 2020 is like turning an aircraft carrier." Building greenways involves collaboration with stakeholders, transportation agencies, and the Harris County Flood Control District, among other entities.
"When the Bayou Greenways project is complete, it will bring an estimated 1.5 million Houstonians within 1.5 miles of green space" and open up new possibilities for Houstonians to explore and enjoy their city.
FULL STORY: Bayou Greenways Park opens this week as part of master plan for greener Houston
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