Greenways in Ukraine

	GREENWAYS in UKRAINE GWs History
What is Greenways ? Greenways criteria Methodology GW network in Central and Eastern Europe History Heritage and ecomuseums Contact us	Greenways in the USA
	The greenways movement began in the USA. It was here that the term 'greenways' first appeared in the early 1950s to describe recreational trails (for walkers and cyclists) designed to promote healthy life-styles and non-motorized transport, mostly in urban areas. In 1987, an initiative to 'create a greenways network across America' was launched as a joint effort of the President's Commission on American Outdoors (chaired by Alexander Lamar, the governor of Tennessee) and the National Geographic Society (with the personal commitment of Gilbert Grosvenor, the Society's President). Today, there are over 18,000 km of greenways in the USA. Hundreds of civic groups are involved in promoting the greenways concept at the national, state and local levels. Greenways are supported by public agencies responsible for national parks and protected areas and many local governments include greenways specialists on staff. Greenways initiatives are implemented typically through cross-sector partnerships involving public agencies, business and non-governmental organizations. Selected Greenways organizations in the USA: Rails to Trails Conservancy (Washington D.C.) www.railstrails.org www.trailsandgreenways.org National Parks Service - The Rivers and Trails Program www.nps.gov/rtca American Trails www.americantrails.org Conservation Fund www.conservationfund.org Friends of Czech Greenways www.pragueviennagreenways.org East Coast Greenway Alliance www.greenway.org Federal Highway Administration www.enhancements.org Transportation Alternatives www.transalt.org Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center - PBIC www.bicyclinginfo.org Pennsylvania Greenways www.pagreenways.org	Planned GW network in Ukraine Green Bicycle (East-Carpathian Greenway) Bo·Hu·Lem Boykivsky Greenway Limnycia valley GW


	Greenways in Western Europe
	In Western Europe, the greenways concept became popular in the late 1980s and 1990s. In the countries of the European Union, greenways came to refer to green corridors dedicated to tourism, recreation and non-motorized transport. Trails were designed to be independent of motorized traffic routes, leading along historical trails, natural corridors or disused roads and tracks (including rail corridors). The motivation for greenways is linked to promoting active life-styles, health, nature conservation, reducing pollution related to motorized transport and creating safe access for travel to work and school. The European Greenways Association (EGWA) was established in 1997 in Namur, Belgium. The Association today brings together 35 national level organizations committed to creating and promoting greenways. The most active greenways organizations operate in Belgium, Spain, UK, France, Ireland, Poland and the Czech Republic. Many greenways in Western Europe were established on disused rail corridors (rails-to-trails). The European Greenways Association works with European institutions do develop and contribute to EU policies related to sustainable development, nature conservation, regional development and employment promotion. EGWA is involved in organizing and promoting European Mobility Week, which takes place 16-22 September each year in over 1300 cities and towns across Europe (see: www.mobilityweek-europe.org). Selected Greenways organisations in Western Europe: European Greenways Association - (L'Association Europeenne des Voies Vertes) www.aevv-egwa.org Chemins do Rail (Belgium) www.cheminsdurail.be AF3V - L'Association Francaise de Developpement des Veloroutes et Voies Vertes (France) www.AF3V.org Fundacion de los Ferrocarilles Espanoles (Spain) www.viasverdes.com Sustrans Sustainable Transport (Great Britain) www.sustrans.org The Heritage Council (Ireland) www.heritagecouncil.ie The Italian Greenways Association, A.I.G. (Italy) www.greenways.it

	GW in Central and Eastern Europe
	The greenways concept was introduced to Central and Eastern Europe through the Czech Republic. The first greenway initiative dates back to 1990, when a group of Czech-Americans led by Lu Chmielarz began to promote the idea of a Vienna-Prague Greenway. In 1998, the Czech Environmental Partnership Foundation (Nadace Partnerstvi) based in Brno took on the task of developing a countrywide greenways program, focused also on environmental and social improvement. The Central and Eastern European Greenways (CEG) program has been promoted as a civic initiative across the region since 2000. The program is now coordinated by the Environmental Partnership for Sustainable Development Association, which includes national Environmental Partnership Foundations operating in Poland (Fundacja Partnerstwo dla Srodowiska), Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Rumania and Bulgaria. The CEG network currently includes 8 long-distance greenways and a dozen or more local urban trails. All CEG greenways are implemented in line with a shared set of criteria. From 2005, the CEG program awards each year the Laurance S. Rockefeller Greenways Award to celebrate the best greenways in Central and East Europe. The CEG program is being expanded to include new greenway initiatives and partner organizations from other countries in the region, especially in Austria, Germany, Belarus, Ukraine, Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovenia and Macedonia. Selected Greenways organisations in Central and Eastern Europe: Environmental Partnership for Sustainable Development Association www.environmentalpartnership.org Fundacja Partnerstwo dla Srodowiska (Poland) www.epce.org.pl, www.greenways.pl Nadace Partnerstvi (Czech Republic) www.nadacepartnerstvi.cz Nadacia Ekopolis (Slovakia) www. ekopolis.sk, www.greenways.sk Okotars Alapitvany (Hungary) www.okotars.hu Fundatia pentru Parteneriat (Romania) www.epce.ro, www.greenways.ro Фондация „ЕкоОбщност" (Bulgaria) www.bepf-bg.org
	Greenways in Ukraine
	In Ukraine the Greenways initiative has become available thanks to project Green Bicycle (Zielony Rower), that is being implemented since 2005 by efforts of polish partners "Bieszczadzie Towarzystwo Cyclistow" (www.btc.bieszczady.pl) in cooperation with "Partnerstwo dla Srodowiska" foundation and assisted by Lviv bicycle society "Rukh". In parallel ways since 2005 the Greenways programme has being developed in Ukraine by Carpathian Paths foundation (www.stezhky.org.ua). While preparing project documents for Matra-KNIP tender the foundation members have come across the Lead International training materials, held by ukrainian publishing centre "Green Dossier" and charity fund "Public initiatives Centre", financed by British Council in Ukraine and GB Ministry on the environmental protection, food and agricullture matters. These materials contained essential principles of greenways functioning, such as social and ecological focus, active life-style promoting and tourism development, which the foundation activity conceptually complies with. Soon the contacts with czech and polish GW coordinators have been established. At the invitation of before-mentioned partners the foundation participated in the annual CEG conference in Bulgaria, where it has its activity presentation held and the Sopron Declaration signed, which stated the participating of Ukraine in expanding the GW programme. In the nearest future it is expected the development of long-distance transborder way "Bо·Hu·Lem" (Boykivshchyna-Hutsulshchyna-Lemkivshchyna) is called to reunite these intimate however greatly suffered lands at the wartime by a Greenway. It is under discussion there are also long-distance GW "Boykivsky Way" and a loop of it along the river Limnycia valley.

Greenways in Western Europe