A study of a sustainable greenway approach for a part of the Silk Road in Turkey

Abstract

The article describes different steps and methodologies to create an alternative greenway with recreational, scenic, historical and cultural values in Hamsiköy-Zigana, part of Trabzon-Gümüşhane former state highway. As a first step, inventory studies and analyses were carried out to determine the cultural and natural values of the area. As the second step, area analyses studies were carried out. Depending on results of expert-based visual assessment and suitability analyses for determining the suitability of greenway planning in the study area; recreational, scenic, historical–cultural and multifunctional status of the greenway having all these three functions at the same time were mapped using suitability rank in GIS and the plan square technique. As a result, the plan squares having high suitability for the above functions were dense in the determined study, in terms of old highway and neighbourhood. In the whole area (4385.25 ha), 598.00 ha were ranked as good (A), 770.27 ha as medium (B) and 3016.98 ha as poor (C), in terms of suitability value. Seasonal assessments for recreation and scenery functions of A, B and C indicate that the area has opportunities for all seasons. As a third step, the results are discussed and some proposals suggested.

Keywords:

• greenway
• suitability analyses
• expert-based visual assessment

Acknowledgements

Special thanks to The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey, Scientific Research Project Unit of Karadeniz Technical University, the expert group and participants in Trabzon city.