An urban core greenway like Eagan's is a collection of ecologically important parcels of land that are connected by flora and fauna friendly paths---together the distinct parcels, with natural connections between them, make up the greenway.

By themselves, the individual pieces of land support some species, but linked together, the contiguous greenway resembles a mosaic, that is, an enhanced environment that allows many different plants and animals to "make a living," even though located in an urban setting. The greenway thus adds an environmentally meaningful dimension to the regional ecosystem.

By virtue of its size, quality and connectivity, this network of land has the potential to improve water quality and ecosystem functions, sustains ecological diversity, and provides additional wildlife habitat, while contributing to the economic well-being, education, and enjoyment of the community.

The skyways found in downtown St. Paul and Minneapolis offer a limited analogy---these are inter-building connections that, like urban core greenway paths, allow easy travel between buildings for a multiplicity of individuals and thus make working, shopping, viewing public events and a host of other activities easier than doing the same things by traveling outside on streets and sidewalks.

John Ward
Friends of Patrick Eagan Park
Eagan