Guangdong, China’s most populous (and also most prosperous) province has been experiencing an explosion in greenway development. An initial rollout of hundreds of kilometers of high quality bike and pedestrian pathways in 2010 in Guangzhou (the provincial capital) has laid the groundwork for even more ambitious plans. The city plans improve greenway coverage and connectivity in the built-up urban area during 2011.
ITDP is working closely with the city’s can-do greenways office to build out the greenways into a citywide network linked with bike sharing and public space improvements. Special attention is needed to ensure the greenways across busy urban intersections and other potential barriers. ITDP is also assisting several other cities in the Pearl River Delta with greenway planning, some of which are planning to integrate greenways with BRT and public bike systems, and with general public space and pedestrian facility improvements.