The Relationship between Greenways and Regional Planning

This thesis looks at the relationship between regional planning and greenways in New York State, and asks whether greenways are able to foster regional planning. Two greenways in particular are analyzed, the Hudson River Valley Greenway and the Niagara River Greenway. Interviews were conducted with municipal planners and officials of communities within the two greenway boundaries to determine how communities are interacting with greenways. Questions asked sought to determine whether or not communities were participating in regional planning efforts and if they were, if the regional planning efforts were related to the greenways in any way. Comprehensive plans for communities within the greenways were also analyzed to determine how communities were representing the greenways and regional planning in their written plans. The data collected illustrated that although the greenways are regional organizations, they do not necessarily foster regional planning because of their limited power. Communities often discuss the need to participate in regional planning efforts and cooperate with the greenways in their comprehensive plans, but this is not always the case in their day to day planning. The data collected also illustrates that the home rule policy which is so popular in New York State is a large factor in the limited amount of regional planning occurring in New York State. Recommendations are made to empower the greenways and create a regional level of governance throughout New York State that would eliminate redundancies in the state's current government system. It is believed that such a system would lead to increased regional planning throughout the state, while allowing for communities to continue planning to meet the needs of their citizens.