In November 1992, Brock University's Environmental Policy Institute hosted the inaugural meeting of the Niagara Greenways Network, an association of stakeholders devoted to cooperative planning of the emerging greenway system in Niagara. The day-long session at Brock attracted over eighty individuals representing various government ministries, agencies, authorities, clubs, community groups, and associations. Some two dozen presentations were made at the meeting relating to greenway development in Niagara and beyond. A second organizational meeting was held at Brock University on June 12th, 1993, followed by a second annual conference on Thursday, February 24th, 1994.
The Network's main purpose is to facilitate communication through periodic meetings, and to coordinate information transfer between stakeholders. It is emphatically not an attempt to establish a "top-down" approach to greenway development, aiming instead for collaboration and coordination between existing and new greenway initiatives in the peninsula. As such, the operational mandate and organizational structure of the Niagara Greenways Network is defined through consultation, consensus, and the expertise of interested stakeholders
One major concern voiced by stakeholders was the need for an inventory of greenway resources in the peninsula. The benefits of natural and open space corridors are recognized widely, but obtaining a comprehensive picture of the potential for greenway development in Niagara has been difficult. The Niagara Greenways Network Inventory Project is the first systematic attempt to consolidate a comprehensive overview of all the area's known greenways.