For updates from the City of Portland on the Green Loop please go to the Bureau of Planning and Sustainability Green Loop page.
The Green Loop builds on the success of similar projects completed in other cities in the USA and around the world. Below are some examples and link to other projects.
The Indianapolis Cultural Trail
Indianapolis, IN
https://indyculturaltrail.org
This trail was built with public and private investment and has enjoyed massive success. It incorporates art and history to tell the story of Indianapolis creating a unique urban experience.
picture from the Cultural Trail and map
The High Line
New York City, NY
http://www.thehighline.org/
The High Line is a continuous, 1.45-mile-long greenway featuring 500+ species of plants and trees. The park is maintained, operated, and programmed by Friends of the High Line in partnership with the NYC Department of Parks & Recreation. On top of public space and gardens, the High Line is home to a diverse suite of public programs, community and teen engagement, and world-class artwork and performances, free and open to all.
The 606
Chicago, IL
http://www.the606.org/#heroAnchor
The 606 transformed an abandoned rail line into 2.7 miles of multi-use recreational trail and park. The 606 is an alternative transportation corridor, a living work of art, and a spectacular new green space for all to enjoy.
The Belt Line
Atlanta, GA
http://beltline.org/
The Atlanta BeltLine is the most comprehensive transportation and economic development effort ever undertaken in the City of Atlanta and among the largest, most wide-ranging urban redevelopment programs currently underway in the United States. It is a sustainable redevelopment project that will ultimately connect 45 intown neighborhoods via a 22-mile loop of multi-use trails, modern streetcar, and parks – all based on railroad corridors that formerly encircled Atlanta. When completed, it will provide first and last mile connectivity for regional transportation initiatives and put Atlanta on a path to 21st century economic growth and sustainability.
Rose Kennedy Greenway
Boston, MA
http://www.rosekennedygreenway.org/
The Rose Kennedy Greenway is a linear park located in several Downtown Boston neighborhoods. It consists of landscaped gardens, promenades, plazas, fountains, art, and specialty lighting systems that stretch over one mile through Chinatown, the Financial District, the Waterfront, and North End neighborhoods.
Upcoming Projects:
Radbahn
Berlin, Germany
http://www.radbahn.berlin/
Radbahn is a transformation project initiated on a civic basis. Radbahn aims to convert the underutilized space under and along the iconic railway viaduct of Berlin’s subway line U1 into a high-quality, urban environment by means of a roofed cycleway. Through 2023, the project’s concept will be further developed as part of the program “Nationale Projekte des Städtebaus” (national projects of urban construction), and will receive 3,3 million Euros in funding from both the state and Berlin’s federal government. A participative test area will be developed in the district of Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg.
The Bentway
Toronto, ON Canada
https://www.thebentway.ca
Phase 1 of The Bentway – under the Gardiner from Strachan Avenue to Fort York Blvd – opened in 2018 and knits together seven local neighbourhoods with nearly 100,000 residents, creating a gateway to the Waterfront, while providing access to important attractions and destinations – from Fort York National Historic Site, Ontario Place and Exhibition Place to Harbourfront Centre and the CN Tower. The Bentway offers year-round activities and events, public art installations, recreational amenities and programs, community programming, performances, and more.
The area surrounding The Bentway is rich with layered histories and futures. The site follows the original shoreline of Lake Ontario, when it was an important junction for trade, and a hunting and a gathering place for Indigenous peoples. The Bentway site is located on the Treaty lands of the Mississaugas of the Credit, and is the traditional territory of the Haundenosaunee, the Huron-Wendat, the Metis and many other Indigenous nations.
The Underline
Miami, FL
https://www.theunderline.org/
The Underline transforms the underutilized land below Miami’s Metrorail—from the Miami River to Dadeland South Station—into a 10-mile linear park, urban trail and public art destination.
The Joe Louis Greenway
Detroit, MI
https://detroitgreenways.org/projects/joe-louis-greenway/
The 27.5 mile Joe Louis Greenway is a planned biking and walking trail that extends from the Detroit Riverfront to Highland Park, Dearborn, and Hamtramck. When completed, it will provide a place for people of all abilities to safely walk, bike, and run while connecting neighborhoods, parks, schools, jobs, historic sites, commercial corridors and public transit.