Goal Statement

Gateway to Greenspace

Region 2020 and the Regional Planning Commission of Greater Birmingham

The Gateway to Greenspace Project will promote a heightened quality of life for citizens and landowners of the Greater Birmingham Region.  The project fully supports our Region’s need for physical development as a component of progress and economic viability while respecting greenspace as a necessary component in promoting health, recreation, agricultural production, and natural qualities of the local landscape. As such, the project will facilitate a framework for balancing the needs and desires of healthy communities, rural and urban, with the infrastructure needed to accommodate progressive economic development.

Parks, greenways, trails, agricultural lands, preserves, and rural landscapes are powerful amenities that improve quality of life for both residential and business communities. Collectively, these amenities build positive desirability factors and economic progress for a given region. Current studies quantify the value of defined greenspace as an enticement attracting major employment groups, residential growth, and eco-tourism.

Additional motivation for development of a greenspace framework is found in our Region’s emerging awareness regarding the negative impacts of sprawl, including the loss of air quality (non-attainment), watershed concerns (stormwater runoff and river basin concerns), loss of view sheds (Oak Mountain, Red Mountain), and massive commuter congestion on major highways (Hwy 280, I-65, I-20, I-59).  Left unaddressed, the Greater Birmingham Region is at risk for developing undesirable urban conditions similar to that in Atlanta, Houston, or Phoenix.

The project framework will initiate a broad-based awareness within the six county planning commission region regarding benefits to be derived from a network of greenspaces. The overriding goal is to engage citizens, governments, and business for the purpose of increasing designated greenspace as a quality of life enhancement that also serves to improve land values for property owners within the region.