The notion of creating green interventions in cities seems to be gaining pace. Not just parks, but ways in which a natural environment can lead citizens through their town. The High Line in New York is perhaps the most visible recent example.
Here’s creative class thinker Richard Florida:
Why not consider devoting different streets to different kinds of transportation? And surely cities need more green space and some are actually getting it. Inspired by the High-Line Park, by D.C.’s Rock Creek Park, and Toronto’s extensive ravine system, I have been noodling about the possibility of creating linear green belts or what I like to think of as sliver parks through cities. I literally feel this when I walk through Toronto’s ravines, or in the past when I cycled through D.C.’s Rock Creek Park. It provides a natural environment in the city and creates green zones for cycling, walking, picnicking, or other activities.
But we’re fortunate in Berkeley that we got there first, even if there’s room for improvement.
We have a remarkable network of pathways, which wend their way mostly through the hills. The Ohlone Greenway is our own High Line on a much more modest scale. Tilden provides wonderful green space on the edge of Berkeley. But there’s still a need for more green space where the bulk of people live in our very dense city. How are we going to achieve that?
Photo of Ohlone Greenway from Walking Berkeley
