Green Infrastructure: Environmental Challenges
Contemporary land use patterns can challenge the development of an integrated green infrastructure network. Policy decisions, funding and legal considerations can also pose obstacles.
Lack of funding - Lack of funding can be a particular challenge for the acquisition and maintenance of parks, trails, and historic and cultural sites. These are often seen as easy targets for budget cuts during time of fiscal pressures. Without dedicated support and maintenance, potential sites may quickly become unsuitable for their intended uses.
Rising Land Values - Urban land is always more valuable than rural and that value can be viewed as a threat to open spaces and agricultural uses. Continued ownership in the face of rising property taxes can prove financially burdensome for the property owner. Incompatible use of adjacent properties may also encourage owners to transition agricultural & undeveloped lands to residential and commercial development.
Encroachment of Development - Residential and commercial development in areas that were previously green spaces can result in loss of natural habitat. In addition to the resulting problem encounters with animals that can be viewed as nuisances, there is a potential loss of biodiversity among plant and animal species that fail to thrive in human environments.
Conflicts with Private Property Issues - Attempts to limit development of floodplains, wetlands, and other environmentally sensitive areas through riparian buffers and setbacks have caused some to perceive those limits as a taking of private land for public use without compensation. These issues have lead to a string of legislative and legal challenges on the government’s right to limit development in environmentally sensitive areas.
Access and Liability - Public entities such as highway departments, utility companies, railroad corporations, and even other governmental bodies can be leery of allowing use of their right-of-ways. Questions arise in regard to damage to transportation and utility networks that run through public right-of-ways as well as responsibility for personal safety of visitors.
