Introduction - Tourism and Trails: Cultural, Ecological and Management Issues - page 6

maintained and kept opened, but not promoted or interpreted, for their
primary users: local residents wishing to wander about the countryside.
These trails link local other trails or local roads to nearby villages, farms
or churches (Curry, 1997; Walker, 1996). Local walks and rides were also
marked and maintained but promoted for local use near people's homes or
in their holiday destinations. Car parks were provided, and many bestowed
a full day's range of hiking and other activities. Local walks can be found
not only in rural areas but also in cities where they often have a cultural
or historical bent. Regional routes are longer, themed routes that could
require one or more days of travel and could be promoted as important
tourist attractions, especially for domestic visitors. Finally, national trails
(known as 'long distance routes' in Scotland) are long-distance corridors
in England and Wales that are truly national in character, can be used on
multi-day hikes by foot, horse or bicycle, and can be marketed as interna-
tional tourist attractions (Curry, 1997; National Trails, 2012; Walker,
1996). Presently there are approximately 4000 km of national trails in
England and Wales.
Greenways
Greenways are different from trails, although many greenways include
recreational or transportation trails within them, and they often connect
traditional parks and trails (Bowick, 2003; Moore et al. , 1998; Mundet &
Coenders, 2010). Little (1990) advocated for a very comprehensive definition
of greenways, which included among its various manifestations the trails
defined above. According to Little (1990: 1), greenways can be viewed rather
broadly to include linear open spaces along natural corridors (e.g. rivers or
ridgelines) or human-created features (e.g. railways, scenic roads, canals);
natural or landscaped courses for bicycle or pedestrian use; open-space con-
nectors that link nature preserves, parks and historic sites to one another or
to populated areas; and linear parks specified as parkways or greenbelts.
Little also recognized five specific, albeit overlapping, kinds of greenways
based upon their location, their settings and their functions: urban riverside
greenways, recreational greenways, ecologically important natural corridors,
scenic and historic routes, and comprehensive greenway networks. Other
observers have provided similar definitions and classifications, such as Fabos
(1995), who defined greenways as linking corridors of various sizes and sug-
gests a threefold typology: recreational greenways, ecologically significant
greenways and heritage or cultural greenways. Much work on the subject has
emphasized the role of greenways and their functions in urban areas. These
include, but are not limited to, recreation, transportation routes, economic
development, wildlife habitats, general beautification and storm-water
management (Frauman & Cunningham, 2001; Jim & Chen, 2003; Moore &
Shafer, 2001; Palau et al. , 2012).