Approach to Greenways and Natural Paths in Spain

Abstract

Greenways and natural paths are a way of providing enjoyment, promoting the cultural and landscape knowledge of an area, providing exercise, and encouraging respect for the environment. The aim of this paper is to analyze some physical characteristics of greenways and natural paths in Spain. The paper's introduction clarifies some concepts and provides historic references. To achieve the objective of this pilot study, successive meetings with representatives of the Spanish Ministry of the Environment and the Spanish Railway Foundation were held to learn about previous projects. After some of these projects were reviewed, various characteristics of the paths, including users of the paths, typology of the platform, and reforestation, were analyzed. Results of the analysis are presented in tables, which show that greenways tend to be more uniform than natural paths, which have more variable features. After the analysis, the most common characteristics of Spanish natural paths and greenways are presented.

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