Planning urban valleys using greenway approach

Population growth and urbanisation apply tremendous pressure on green spaces and lead to fragmentation and loss of green spaces. Sustainability planning of green natural and artificial corridors must be based on professional opinion of ecologists, urban and landscape planners. Greenway planning approach is the preferred planning model, which provides solutions to urban linearity due to its multi-functional and sustainable landscape planning character. "Trabzon-Golcayir Village Route", the valley prohibited for urban development and the natural connector of a city to rural environment, was selected as the case study. The aim of the current study is to determine the potential functions of this valley with regard to greenway planning. Following the suitability analyses of the valley and suggestions are proposed for appropriate goals of greenway planning strategy and functions. As a result, suitable areas in respect to recreational and scenery functions are presented. The area is divided into 3 zones. In proposed scenario the recreational opportunities and scenery corridors are presented. The 1st and 2nd zones are evaluated as recreational corridors while the 3rd zone is scenery corridors.