Award Spotlight: 7 Greenways Vision Plan- Seven Canyons Trust
7 Greenways Vision Plan- Seven Canyons Trust’s Mission
Inspiring a common vision, over the next 100 years, to revitalize our waterways, connecting people through greenways in the Salt Lake Valley.
Rediscovery and exploration lie before our residents, visitors, and partners along the Wasatch Front. The Seven Greenways Vision Plan will set in motion a community-supported framework. The Salt Lake Valley is facing an exciting future—a connected system of greenways that celebrate our waterways. We believe this resonates with virtually every person who lives, works, or visits our beautiful Valley. As Salt Lake County’s population grows an additional 600,000 people by 2065, this vision is increasingly critical to the protection and enhancement of our creeks. Revitalizing the greenways protects critical riparian habitat, preserves green and open spaces, and provides recreational and community benefits to this growing population.
The Seven Greenways Vision Plan represents hope, expressing how a vision over generations is brought to reality. This century-long vision will only be achieved through collaboration and collective will from elected officials, stakeholders, and community members, alike. The plan focuses on the sections of creek flowing from each canyon’s mouth to their confluence with the Jordan River. It addresses our desire to mitigate climate change and environmental injustices (poor water and air quality, drought, and the urban heat island effect) and requires a collective response and articulated message of benefits. This includes the revitalization of streams, enhanced bicycle, and pedestrian infrastructure, catalyzed economic activity, increased climate resiliency, improved wildlife habitat, providing places for people to experience nature, and opportunities to learn about and enjoy the water in our oasis on the desert’s edge.
