Green Thinking

Green spaces are undeveloped natural areas. In an ideal world, green spaces are connected by greenways that follow land and water features. Together, green spaces and greenways form a system that can include natural areas, public and private lands, working lands such as farms and forests, and other protected open spaces.

Thinking about green networks as a feature of the places where we live helps developers, private landowners, governments, and others to better understand where development should be avoided.

With careful planning, a region can grow and still use less land, protect green areas, and support more choices in the way people move around and where they live. Taxpayers save millions of dollars when there is less need for additional roads, sewers, and other costly construction.