Greenways are trails or corridors used for recreation and sport, everyday transport to work or schools etc.

They motivate people towards exercise (walking, jogging, cycling, roller-skating, cross county skiing etc.) and help to solve conflicts between motor and motor-less traffic on everyday journeys to school, work, shopping centers, playgrounds, nature etc.

In the USA and Europe, there is a long tradition of Greenways and they are commonly incorporated into urban and rural infrastructures. Many greenways have significant tourism potential. They promote the region, attract and keep visitors and initiate tourist services (e.g. educational and interpretational paths, integrated trails linking local attractions, guide services, bicycle rental …).
We implement the Greenways program from 1996. The fact, that the Greenways program supports those projects only initiated and implemented by local citizens (neither municipality nor public administration) is considered a very important characteristic of the program. Of course participation of the local authorities is in great demand.

Goal of the program

Planning and realization of trails for active life-style and motor-less traffic in local partnerships.

Eligible applicants

NGOs with relevant missions are the typical applicants for grants in the Greenways program. Sometimes even informal groups, municipalities or institutions can be awarded a grant as well. The eligible applicants of the grant round are always defined in a particular call for proposals.

Supported activities

The supported projects result in finished trails – Greenways. To enable their construction we support preparation and planning activities, purchase of materials, honors for experts and craftsmen, management, promotion etc. The eligible expenditures of the grant round are always defined in a particular call for proposals. The Ekopolis Foundation provides also non-financial support – consultations, communication with other partners, participation in different events etc. Our membership in a network of similar programs called Central European Greenways as well as European Greenways Association plays an important role in this kind of support.