Layout 1 (Page 1) · The Great Rivers Greenway District acknowledges the vision of the region’s citizens and the tireless efforts of St. Louis 2004, the Parks and Open Space Task

The park and recreation district established in 2000 by the passage of Proposition C.

SummaryBuilding The River Ring: A Citizen-Driven Regional Plan

2 Summary The Great Rivers Greenway District

Citizen Advisory CommitteeCitizens from St. Louis City, St. Louis County and St. Charles County

Alicia Smith, ChairSabrina BaldwinHyatt BangertNancy BowserJohn ColbertDavid DanforthTroy DardenClarence DulaClaire ErkerSandra FernstromKent FlorenceMichael GreenJohn GuentherAlfred HoltzerLuke KehoeDanny KluesnerMichael KnippJanet Matthews

Acknowledgments

Daniel McGuireJim O’HanlonKathleen PuhrDave ReedChris ReinagelLynda RoepkeLeslie RobertsonJamie SalvoJane SchaeferCharles SchmidtLamar SmithMaurice St. PierreEric StrandCarol StrokerRobert TateJason ValveroJohn WalendyDorris Walker-McGahee

Technical Advisory CommitteeMichael Alessandrini – St. Louis Regional Chamber

and Growth AssociationDiana Allen – National Park ServiceMichael Arduser – Missouri Department of ConservationRuss Batzel – City of St. PetersDon Bell – 2004 Sustainable NeighborhoodsGary Bess – City of St. LouisSheri Bilderback – Home Builders Association

of Greater St. LouisTracy Boaz – Missouri Department of ConservationMary Burrows – StreamteachLaura Cohen – Confluence GreenwayRon Coleman – The Open Space CouncilRobert Cropf – St. Louis UniversityMary Jo Dessieux – City of FentonTed Dettmer – Vantage HomesMary Donze – Missouri Department of Natural ResourcesLori Fiegel – St. Louis CountyBob Foster – St. Louis Regional Bicycle FederationWayne Freeman – Great Rivers Habitat AllianceBart Hager – Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer DistrictHoward Hayes – St. Louis Public SchoolsTed Heisel – Missouri Coalition for the EnvironmentDan Kaline – St. Charles CountyMary Nani Kenyon – The Green CenterJonathan Kleinbard – Missouri Botanical Garden

Ben Knox – St. Louis CountyJohn Kohler – City of CrestwoodLarry Lanius II – St. Louis Inline Skating AssociationBruce Litzsinger – Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer DistrictLen Meier – Greenway Network Inc.Sam Mitchell – Gateway Off Road CyclistsGary Mook – East-West Gateway Coordinating CouncilStan Mulvihill – McCormack Baron & AssociatesPatrick O’Donnell – U.S. Army Corps of EngineersMichael Opperman – City of Webster GrovesGene Peters – Metro East Park and Recreation DistrictTony Piccinni – Parkway West Middle SchoolJean Ponzi – Gateway Center for Resource EfficiencyKarl Schneiter – Tele Atlas North AmericaScott Shipman – St. Charles CountyTodd Swanstrom – St. Louis University Edward Tod – Missouri Milers Walkers ClubConnie Tomasula – City of St. LouisMark Tranel – University of Missouri St. LouisCaroline Twenter – East-West Gateway

Coordinating CouncilValerie Vartanian – Gateway WildlandsTina Votaw – MetroLawrence Welty – Missouri Department of TransportationBettie Yahn-Kramer – St. Charles County Genie Zakrzewski – St. Louis County

Community Forum ParticipantsCitizens from St. Louis City, St. Louis County and St. Charles County

Small Focus Group ParticipantsCitizens from St. Louis City, St. Louis County and St. Charles County

Summary The Great Rivers Greenway District 3

County ExecutivesCharlie Dooley – County Executive, St. Louis CountyJoseph Ortwerth – County Executive, St. Charles County Francis Slay – Mayor, St. Louis CityThe Late George R. “Buzz” Westfall – County Executive, St. Louis County

Great Rivers GreenwayBoard of DirectorsAnne Zerr, President - St. Charles CountyMichael Murray, Vice President - St. Louis City David Rosenberg, Secretary - St. Louis CountyDamon Porter, Treasurer - St. Louis CountyRichard Ash - St. Charles CountyTimothy Bolt - St. Louis CityJudith Metzger - St. Louis CountyPauline Smith - St. Louis CityJeff Wagener - St. Louis CountyThe Honorable Phyllis Weber - St. Louis County

Great Rivers Greenway - StaffDavid Fisher – Executive DirectorTodd AntoineGlenna BrownJennifer OlmsteadNancy UlmanJanet Wilding

LaureatesStuart DawsonGrant JonesNeil PorterfieldFarouk StemmetRonald Thomas

The Great Rivers Greenway District acknowledges the vision of the region’s citizens and the tireless efforts of St. Louis2004, the Parks and Open Space Task Force, and Gateway Parks and Trails 2004. The citizens’ desire to enhance the St. Louis region led to the formation of Great Rivers Greenway.

This plan is the first major step in realizing the citizens’ goal of creating an interconnected system of greenways, parks andtrails for the St. Louis region.

ConsultantsPlanningABNA Engineering, Inc.ARCTURISThe HOK Planning GroupURS Corporation

Communications and Public EngagementPatrick Davis CommunicationsKiku Obata and CompanyVector Communications in partnership

with FOCUS St. Louis


Building The River Ring:A Citizen-Driven Regional Plan A New Sense of PlaceThroughout history, the world’s great rivers, such as theAmazon, Ganges, Nile and Rhine, have shaped anddefined civilizations, cultures and trade. Located at theconfluence of North America’s great rivers, theMississippi and Missouri, the St. Louis region has alwaysbeen tied to its waterways (see figure 1). The region is atthe nation’s crossroads and at the heart of the continent.From the time of the earliest settlers to the Lewis andClark Expedition, and from the fur trading era to today’scommercial transportation, the rivers have fueled theeconomy and inspired the culture of the region.

For more than a century, however, citizens have losttouch with their rivers. The era of railroads, automobilesand air transportation has distracted attention from theriver ways and much of the access to the creeks, lakesand streams is limited.

As the region moves into the 21st century, there is a new realization and understanding of the importance ofthese vital natural resources. Citizens are eager to restoretheir connection to the rivers, and their surroundinggreenways and adjacent parks that wind through andshape the St. Louis region. The people of the area aredetermined to refocus the region and build a new notionof the Midwest. The development of The River Ring, an interconnected system of greenways, parks and trails,will create a new sense of place and source of pride –The Great Rivers Greenway District.

THE CONFLUENCE OF THE MISSISSIPPI AND MISSOURI RIVERS Figure 1


Early History of theSt. Louis Region

4,200 BC:Native Americans settle nearthe confluence of the Missouri,Mississippi and Illinois rivers inthe oldest known permanentdwellings in North America –the Koster site.700 – 1,350 AD: Native Americans, theMississippian WoodlandIndians, settle in the region.They inhabit a city of as manyas 20,000 and build more than120 earthen mounds in andaround the center of theircivilization, Cahokia.

18th Century:In 1699, French settlers firstinhabit the Upper Mississippi atCahokia. Soon, Jesuit missionsand small trading posts, such asKaskaskia and Prairie du Rocher,are established along the easternbank of the River. In 1764, themost advantageous site belowthe confluence of the Mississippiand Missouri is claimed by PierreLaclede and named in honor ofhis patron saint, King Louis IXof France. The village of St. Louisis situated on a low bluff justabove the Mississippi’s unstablefloodplain. In 1767, Carondeletand Florissant are founded,followed by St. Charles in 1769.

17th Century:Pere Marquette and Louis Jolietare the earliest Europeans tochronicle their journey along theMississippi and Illinois rivers. In1673, they travel the Mississippiin search of the Pacific Ocean.

19th Century: In 1803, President ThomasJefferson negotiates withNapoleon the sale of theLouisiana Territory – theentire drainage area of theMissouri and Mississippirivers west of the Mississippi.In 1804, Meriwether Lewisand William Clark embark on their two-year expeditionon the Missouri River.

20th Century:For the 1904 World’s Fair,Forest Park is expandedto its present size – 1,400acres. In 1964, coincidingwith the city’s bicentennial,the Louisiana Purchase and the Lewis and ClarkExpedition are again celebrated, as the NationalPark Service opens theJefferson NationalExpansion Memorial andGateway Arch.

“McKinley Bridge”Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, PAN US GEOG - Missouri, no. 17LC-USZ62-130237Copyright 1910 A.W. Sanders

“Embouchures du fleuveSt. Louis ou Mississippi. 1763”Map Collections: 1500 - 2003Special Collections Research Center, University ofChicago Library

The FilsonHistorical SocietyHistory of the expeditionunder the command ofCaptains Lewis andClark, to the sources ofthe Missouri

Library of Congress,Prints & Photographs Division,[Reproduction number, e.g., LC-USZ62-90145]

Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, HABS [orHAER], Reproduction number [e.g.,"HABS ILL, 1

Library of Congress, Prints &Photographs Division Washington,D.C. 20540 USA, Reproduction number LC-USZ62-52827 (b&w film copy neg. of left section),LC-USZ62-52828 (b&w film copyneg. of left center section)

“Painting of Marquette andJoliet” by Edgar S. CameronChicago Daily News negatives collection, DN-0003451.Courtesy of the ChicagoHistorical Society.


“Everything is connected to everything else.”-Aldo Leopold

Proposition CIn 1996, St. Louis 2004 was formed with the mission ofbringing about a renaissance in the metropolitan regionby 2004. The same year, St. Louis 2004 began visioningsessions throughout themetropolitan area. Morethan 10,000 citizens wereasked two basic but related questions: howshould St. Louis buildupon its assets toimprove the region’squality of life; and howshould the region celebrate the centennialof the 1904 World’s Fairand the bicentennial ofthe Louisiana Purchase.From the hundreds ofideas generated, St. Louis2004 formulated 11 priorities for the region,one of which ultimatelybecame Proposition C (see figure 2).

In November 2000, 68 percent of voters in St. Louis City, St. LouisCounty and St. Charles County, Missouri, approvedProposition C, the Clean Water, Safe Parks and

Community Trails Initiative. The vote created theMetropolitan Park and Recreation District, now doingbusiness as The Great Rivers Greenway District. At thesame time, residents of Madison and St. Clair counties,

Illinois, voted to createthe Metro East Parkand Recreation District.The two organizationscollaborate to ensuremaximum regional benefit (see figure 3).

Proposition C fundsThe Great RiversGreenway Districtthrough a one-tenth ofone cent sales tax,which generates $10million dollars annually.Great Rivers Greenwayis responsible for developing The RiverRing, a well-planned,interconnected systemof greenways, parks andtrails in St. LouisCounty, St. CharlesCounty and the City of St. Louis. The River

Ring will enhance the St. Louis area and redefine it as aregion of clean, green and connected communities.

THE GREAT RIVERS GREENWAY DISTRICT Figure 3

PROPOSITION C, THE CLEAN WATER, SAFE PARKSAND COMMUNITY TRAILS INITIATIVE Figure 2

Former Governor of Illinois, George Ryan and Late Governorof Missouri, Mel Carnahan, congratulate each other aftersigning the Clean Water, Safe Parks and Community TrailsInitiative enabling legislation on the Old Chain of RocksBridge—on the Illinois-Missouri State line.


Purpose of the PlanFrom its inception, Great Rivers Greenway has beeninspired, nurtured and guided by the people of theSt. Louis region. In 2002, the organization initiated a planning process, which engaged citizens fromacross the region in envisioning and planning thelong-term development of a regional system ofgreenways, parks and trails.

Building The River Ring: A Citizen-Driven RegionalPlan is a working document that serves as a long-term framework. It reflects a community vision aswell as an ambitious set of goals, opportunities andstrategies that will be fully realized over severaldecades. The plan includes all current Great RiversGreenway projects, which will be completed in the next several years. To reflect the changing faceof the region and the possibility of more counties joining Great Rivers Greenway, the plan will bereviewed and updated every five years.

Three Outcomes of an Interconnected SystemInitiatives in metropolitan areas across the nation, including Boston, Denver, Minneapolis and Portland,demonstrate that the benefits of an interconnected system of greenways, parks and trails go far beyond recreational use: economic growth is stimulated; property values increase; tax bases stabilize; new businessesdevelop; citizens and neighborhoods connect; open space is preserved; and healthier lifestyles are encouraged.Based on these findings, Great Rivers Greenway recognizes the development of the interconnected system ofgreenways, parks and trails has three guiding outcomes that will benefit the region:

123EconomicDevelopmentAn interconnected system of greenways, parks and trailsstrengthens local economiesand is a catalyst for economicgrowth in new and establishedcommunities.

SocialCapitalAn interconnected system of greenways, parks and trailsenhances social capital—health, education, dignity andinteraction—and strengthenscommunity bonds.

EnvironmentalStewardshipAn interconnected system ofgreenways, parks and trails is the physical armature thatdefines communities and preserves and enhances thenatural environment.

Outcome Outcome Outcome

Boston – Southwest Corridor

Minneapolis – Chain of Lakes

Denver – Cherry Creek Greenway

Portland – Williamette Greenway

CASE STUDIES FROM AROUND THE NATION PROVIDE EXAMPLES OF THE THREE OUTCOMES.

“A connected system of parks andparkways is manifestly far morecomplete and useful than a series of isolated parks.”

– John & Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr. 1903


Physical Development – Restore brownfields andabandoned properties, preserve land for parks andalleviate streambank erosion.Education – Educate the public about greenways, parksand trails, provide setting for multi-disciplinary educationand incorporate learning at an interactive level.Social Connectivity – Create and stimulate regionalcommunications, promote social interaction and encourage residents of the region to think of themselvesas one.Accessibility – Link pathways along rivers, historicalsites and cultural attractions and provide safe routesto schools.

“Provide alternativeforms of recreation.”

– Technical Advisory Committee Member

“Stabilize areas with declining populations.”

– Small Focus GroupParticipant

“Serve as a magnetfor young professionals,new business andtourism.”

– Citizen Advisory Committee Member

December 2002 A 36-member Citizen Advisory Committee representing the residents of St. Louis City, St. Louis County and St. Charles Countyassisted Great Rivers Greenway staff and the planning team. Between December2002 and September 2003, the committee met monthly. The meetings gave residents an opportunity to share their communities’ desires and concerns and learn about the region’s demographics, geography, and topography. They alsoreviewed national and international case studies on comparable projects.

The committee expressed nine ways an interconnected system of greenways,parks and trails could benefit their individual communities:

March 2003 To ensure citizens’ voices were heard throughout the planning process, Great RiversGreenway held small focus group meetings in all three counties. Committee members each hosted one meeting in their community, inviting 12 to 15 friends, neighbors and co-workers. Participants were asked to answer three questions:

1. Can you tell us about your community’s assets and liabilities?

2. Can you propose projects (priorities) to minimize community liabilities and enhance community assets?

3. Can you suggest guidelines for Great Rivers Greenway to evaluate potential projects?

Question 1: Participants most frequently mentioned these assets and liabilities:

Aesthetics – Improve St. Louis’ image as a vibrant city and create a more attractive region for young people to relocate and promote tourism.Economic – Increase property values, create development and employment opportunities and revitalize depressed areas.Preservation – Preserve wetlands for future generations, provide an unbroken habitat for wildlifeand protect native plant growth.Health – Improve quality of life for citizens of all ages,provide solitude and encourage healthy lifestyles.Pollution Deterrent - Repair streams through thedevelopment of greenways, parks and trails.

“Preserve and maintain open space.”

– Citizen Advisory Committee Member

The Planning ProcessThroughout the planning process, Great Rivers Greenway staff collaboratedwith a team of planning consultants and the region’s citizens.

A SSE TS• Agricultural and

natural areas • Areas of wildlife

habitation• Educational institutions

and community centers • Existing trails and

walkways• Existing revitalized

neighborhoods• Historical and cultural

attractions• MetroLink (where

applicable)• Parks – regional and

neighborhood • Proximity to major

transportation arteries• Rivers, streams and

creeks• Vast areas of open

space (where applicable)

L IABI LITI E S• Air pollution• Blighted areas • Existing quarries and

junkyards• Floodplain development• Fragmented government• Lack of adequate coordi-

nation of growth • Limited access to water-

ways, streams and creeks • Limited connectivity

between attractions and neighborhoods

• Scattered plots of vacantbuildings

• Traffic congestion• Undercapitalized parks• Underutilized urban core


June 2003 At the invitation of Great RiversGreenway, five senior planning and design professionals (laureates) visited St. Louis to share their observations and experi-ence with greenway, park and trail planning. The laureates alsomet with the Citizen Advisory Committee. With the laureates’help, the planning team further refined the regional plan.

July 2003 Great Rivers Greenway held communityforums to gather additional comments on the draft plan. Publicengagement will remain a staple of Great Rivers Greenway’swork, as broad-based community involvement will be importantto successfully implement the interconnected system.

September 2003 The Citizen AdvisoryCommittee reviewed and submitted the draft plan to GreatRivers Greenway’s board of directors for their approval.

Question 2: Participants then establishedpriorities to enhance assets and minimizeliabilities in their communities:

PRIORITI E S• Park and nature area development• Waterway development – riverfront, streams and

creeks• Bicycle and pedestrian trail systems• Education• Public engagement and stewardship

Question 3: Participants recommended GreatRivers Greenway evaluate all potential projectsusing three criteria:

CRITERIA• Regional impact• Enhancement of the existing system• Number of potential users

May 2003 A 50-member TechnicalAdvisory Committee was formed to complement theCitizen Advisory Committee’s activities. The TechnicalAdvisory Committee included representatives frommany of the region’s commercial, cultural, educational,environmental, governmental and recreational entities.The Technical Advisory Committee offered its com-ments regarding Great Rivers Greenway’s role in fourmajor categories:

Visionary – Create and sustain the vision of aninterconnected system of greenways, parks and trailsConvener and Partner – Transcend the region’s jurisdictional boundaries to promote a greater sense of community

Educator – Serve as an educator and supporter ofparks, trails and greenways, open space and wildlifepreservationGreenway, Park and Trail Advocate – Advocate forthe support of greenways, parks and trails in the region

“Terrific vision for St. Louis.”

– Community Forum Participant

“Your history is connected to the rivers.”

– Laureates

“Excellent utilizationof taxpayer dollars.”

– Community ForumParticipant

“Continue effort toinform the public.”


“Whole effort iswonderful andgreat for the futureof region.”


“Great Rivers Greenway should be thesteward and custodian of the region’sphysical resources, but also serve as acapacity builder for the region’s socialand human resources.”

– Laureates


Elements of the PlanGreat Rivers Greenway is developing The River Ring, an interconnected system of greenways, parks and trailsthat links three counties, joins two states, and covers an area of 1,216 square miles. To implement the region-al system, the organization will utilize the region’swaterways and natural systems – its rivers, streams,creeks, forests, hills and prairies.

Because it is surrounded by waterways, the St. Louisregion has often been referred to as an island. Thisnotion inspired the main concept for the developmentof what will become the regional, inter-connected system: The River Ring.

Historically, the region has been defined by its greatrivers – the Missouri and Mississippi. Together with theMeramec and Cuivre rivers, the Mississippi River formsa three-quarter ring around the Great Rivers Greenwayplanning area. By joining these three rivers with theMissouri River through a series of interconnectedgreenways, parks and trails, the circle is completed, providing access to The River Ring throughout the St. Louis region (see figure 4).

THE RIVER RING – THE FOUNDATION FOR THE REGIONAL, INTERCONNECTED SYSTEM Figure 4

Big Creek

McCoy Enon

Peruque

Little Dardenne Dardenne

Crooked

Centennial Trail

Boone’s Lick

Belleau

Daniel Boone

Femme Osage

Schluersburg

Busch

Rockwood

Caulks

Bonhomme

Bigelow

Fox

Flat Creek

Spring

KieferFishpot

Grand Glaze

Fee Fee

Centennial Trail

MI S SO URI

MIS SISS IPPI

MIS

SIS

SIP

PI

Boschert

Marais Temps Clair

Portage

Sunset

Mill

Coldwater

Watkins

Maline

St. Vincent

Northern

Chouteau

Deer CreekShady

Gravois

Mattese

River Des Peres

Christy

Williams

C

UIV RE

ME

R

A ME C

The Mall

Creve Coeur


Development of theRiver RingThe development of The River Ring includes numer-ous greenway and trail corridors throughout theGreat Rivers Greenway region. The River Ring itselfconsists of two key components:

1. Greenways of various scales (major, regional, localand neighborhood) (see figure 5)

2. Confluences of various sizes (see figure 5)

Greenways. Greenways are linear open spaces thatserve a variety of purposes. They are a way to link natural, cultural and community assets to each other.The advantage of greenways is that they are flexible.

Confluences. The confluences, which denote thelocation where two greenways meet, will provideopportunities for newly developed facilities, including:

• Bicycle and/or pedestrian bridges• Boat rentals and docks• Information kiosks• Interpretive trails with explanatory signage• Parking hubs, including accessible spaces• Picnic facilities, shelters and restrooms, and• Rental facilities for bicycles and electrically

powered golf carts.

A web of more than 45 major, regional, local andneighborhood greenways will crisscross The RiverRing (see figure 5). Each greenway’s size and facilitieswill vary depending on its location and existing conditions. The River Ring also is linked to the MetroEast Park and Recreation District, providing citizenswith access to a bi-state, regional system.

Physical Elements of Greenways• Bicycle lanes

• Buffers between different land uses• Cemeteries• Conservation areas• Farmed fields• Forests and prairies• Linear parks

• Migratory routes• Private open space• Protected viewsheds• Recreation areas• Recreation trails• Water and riparian corridors

(rivers, streams and creeks)• Wetlands

THE INTERCONNECTED SYSTEM OF GREENWAYS, PARKS AND TRAILS Figure 5

Nonphysical Elements of Greenways• Economic development

(e.g. tourism) strategies• Education programs and activities• Funding strategies• Local partnerships• Strategies to protect viewsheds

This map shows the entire interconnected system ofexisting and future greenways, parks and trails. Theconnections identified in this map generally follow naturalsystems, such as creeks and streams, as well as existingpublic parks and open space.


Implementation of The River RingTo initiate projects throughout the region, GreatRivers Greenway will continue educating the commu-nity about the benefits of greenways, parks and trails,and forge partnerships to collaboratively develop The River Ring. Furthermore, Great Rivers Greenwaywill identify greenway planning areas to facilitate thecreation of the regional, interconnected system.

Greenway planning areas will allow Great RiversGreenway to develop The River Ring both on local andregional levels, as they may include several communities and transcend jurisdictional boundaries.Each planning area will identify local connections, such as greenways, parks, trails and on-street bicyclelanes, to be integrated in The River Ring.

A Confluence Greenway A1 Ted and Pat Jones Confluence

Point State ParkA2 Katy Trail ConnectorA3 Columbia Bottom

Conservation AreaA4 Old Chain of Rocks BridgeA5 Portage Des Sioux Nature AreaA6 Mary Meachum Freedom

CrossingA7 McKinley Bridge and Branch

Street Railroad Trestle

A8 Riverfront TrailB Centennial GreenwayB1 Katy Trail to St. Peters Trail

Connection

C Chouteau GreenwayC1 Phase III Planning Study

D Dardenne GreenwayD1 Dardenne Creek Storm Water

Management PlanD2 Dardenne Greenway at

BaratHaven

E Gravois Creek GreenwayE1 Grant’s TrailE2 Clydesdale Park

F Missouri River GreenwayF1 Missouri River Greenway:

Phase 1 PlanningF2 SEED Project-Maryland

HeightsF3 SEED Project-Riverwoods

Conservation Area andRiver Access

F4 SEED Project-St. Stanislaus Conservation Area Picnic Area

F5 SEED Project-Old Town Florissant Trail

F6 SEED Project-Pelican Island Trail

F7 SEED Project-Missouri River Greenway Bulletin Boards

G Meramec GreenwayG1 River Mile 7 – St. Louis CountyG2 River Mile 18 – City of Fenton

G3 River Mile 20 – City of Kirkwood

G4 River Mile 25 – St. Louis CountyG5 River Mile 28 – St. Louis CountyG6 River Mile 30 – St. Louis CountyG7 River Mile 31 – City of

Wildwood

H River Des Peres GreenwayH1 River Des Peres Pilot Project—

Christy Greenway Connection H2 Lindell Pavilion in Forest Park

H3 Canary Island Riverside Greenway

I St. Vincent’s GreenwayI1 Planning and Design

J Collaborative PlanningJ1 Bike St. LouisJ2 St. Louis Citywide Parks PlanJ3 Regional Bicycle Facilities Plan

GREAT RIVERS GREENWAY’S CURRENT PROJECTS Figure 6


“To make a greenway is to make a community.”– Charles Little

Next Steps1. Current Great RiversGreenway ProjectsContinue current projects in collaboration withregional partners to implement The River Ring.

Great Rivers Greenway recognizes that manymunicipalities, public agencies and nonprofitorganizations in the St. Louis region have beenactive in greenway, park and trail planning and implementation for more than 30 years.Since Great Rivers Greenway began collectingrevenue in April 2001, it has become an activepartner in many of these efforts, helping toimplement them, acquiring property for openspace preservation or initiating new plans (see figure 6). Participation in such efforts,along with ongoing citizen involvement andcoordination with municipalities, public agencies, stakeholders and nonprofit organi-zations, enables Great Rivers Greenway tobuild strong alliances, pursue common goalsand proceed with projects that will contributeto its overall vision.

2. Greenway, Park andTrail Plans Prepare detailed plans for greenway planning areas.

Great Rivers Greenway will increase its publicoutreach and begin work on plans in at leastthree greenway planning areas. The plans will propose local connections and completionof unfinished segments of major, regional, or local greenway systems to feed into The River Ring.

3. Great Rivers GreenwayEducational ConventionEstablish a task force and host the first convention.

On an annual basis, Great Rivers Greenwaywill organize an educational convention that includes regional leaders representing community, business, recreational and openspace interests. The convention serves as theregional forum for the development of The River Ring.

4. Communications StrategyIntensify communications efforts.

Great Rivers Greenway will implement anextensive communications strategy, including outreach efforts to inform theregion about Great Rivers Greenway’s activities and solicit volunteers and assistancein the implementation of The River Ring.

5. Benchmarks of Success Start measuring effectiveness of Great RiversGreenway’s work.

The development of The River Ring is a long-term effort. To ensure citizens and partners view Great Rivers Greenway as aneffective, pro-active organization, it will workto measure its progress and share its successwith all constituents.

Documents

Layout 1 (Page 1) · The Great Rivers Greenway District acknowledges the vision of the region’s citizens and the tireless efforts of St. Louis 2004, the Parks and Open Space Task