Using greenways to reclaim nature in Brazilian cities

Abstract

This paper presents eight recent case studies of greenways proposed or implemented in Brazil ranging in scale from a state-wide plan to landscape design for a specific site and also describes the strategies used in each example to preserve, restore and create green spaces. Each case study is analyzed according to its capacity to contribute to a more sustainable urban environment and to foster a more livable and significant landscape. This “blue” and “green” infrastructure is happening as a consequence of changes in the criteria used by public administration and private agents which previously saw each open creek, wetland or forest patch in the middle of or adjacent to an urban area as an empty space and a potential building or road construction site. This more environmentally concerned approach to planning and design, previously shared only by some visionaries in universities and other research centers, is gaining momentum. It is becoming visible across the whole spectrum of Brazilian cities and regions, and is becoming part of the agendas of local communities and public administration. These case studies were chosen from a survey undertaken by the authors among planners, designers and researchers in universities, in public and non-governmental bodies and in the private sector, involved in the planning and designing of greenways.