History of Greenway network planning in China and their megacities

Abstract

With the spread of the sustainable development concept and the construction of ecological cities, many Chinese megacities have formed their Greenway network system. This study analyses the history of urban Greenways in China through an abundant literature review. It summarizes four aspects of Greenway development: The Greenway concept changing process, Greenway route selection methods, Greenway construction in four megacities, and post-occupancy evaluation research about Greenway. Firstly, we summarize the changing process of the Greenway concept in China in different periods. Analysis shows that the Greenway concept change process is closely related to the implementation policies in China. Research also reveals the relevant leading policies during China’s Greenways development history. Secondly, it introduces the changes in Greenway route selection methods from the Olmsted period to recent years in China and other countries with corresponding cases. To view how they influence each other as knowledge spreads. In the third part of this study, we choose four typical megacities as examples, visualize the distribution of greenways, present the construction status of greenway networks now, and summarize the development of their current situation. In addition, the study collected 2098 comments on Ctrip from 2024 to 2017 to analyze visitors’ opinions about these greenways. Finally, the study reviews the development process of the POE of Greenway in China, summarizes the popular research methods, and shares the unique perspective researchers are now using. The development of Greenway network is of great significance to improving the quality of human settlements and alleviating megacities common problems. With the application and research of big data, China’s Greenway construction is developing toward human-oriented perception while keeping the detailed study of natural factors.