This is just a very brief introduction to a concept that needs more explanation elsewhere, but hopefully the idea is simple enough:
Cities like Coventry have acres of green space, but much of it is hardly ever used, because it is too difficult to access, or it is simply fenced off.
Councils need to start seeking a combined role between their health promotion departments, parks facilities and of course transport, such that every available green corridor can be opened up to form a single continuous linked park. In a city like Coventry, this could mean creating four connected corridors, some of which are already open in short sections.
The land is already there, and this land is unlikely to be used for other purposes, as it would not make commercial sense to build on it.
Green corridors, connected by quietways through open street are in no way a substitute for trunk cycle routes on major corridors, but they are very much part of the mix when it comes to providing safe space for walking, running or cycling.
In a city like Coventry, they can be even more valuable, because even if the best possible cycle routes are provided, cycling alongside busy roads like the A45 or the London Road is never going to be pleasant.
Laying down paths along existing green corridors can be an extremely cheap exercise, with recent completions of the Birmingham canal network averaging around £200,000 per kilometre.
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