Smart Urban Design: Grass-Lined Green Railways

Who says railway tracks have to be ugly? Some cities are showing the rest of the world that you can have public transportation and green space, in the same area. They look great, reduce the urban heat island effect, allow for more efficient stormwater drainage and reduce pollution. Inhabitat pulled together a collection of photos of these lovely examples of urban design, along with a great quote from Monocle Magazine:

“There’s something quite magical about watching trams in Barcelona, Strasbourg or Frankfurt glide silently along beds of grass as they do their city circuit. Where possible, this attractive combination of efficient public transport and inspired landscaping should be standard as part of the urban fabric.”

The photos show green rainways in places like Barcelona, Spain, St. Etienne, France and The Hague, Netherlands – but lest you think America doesn’t have any of its own, check out this photo (below) of a street car in New Orleans. Still, we could definitely use more (and more public transportation, period).

I rode the tram in Barcelona pictured in the top photo, and I can tell you that the grassy expanse definitely improves the looks of the road – especially considering how wide some of those roads can be.

Hopefully this grass doesn’t require too much maintenance, which would erase most of the benefits of doing this. Replace grass with low-maintenance, water-wise ground cover and you’ve really got a winning idea.

See more photos over at Inhabitat!

Link [Inhabitat] + [Monocle Magazine]

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