North Saskatchewan River valley parks system

North Saskatchewan River valley parks system
North Saskatchewan River valley parks system
Ribbon of Green, River Valley Parks
	The North Saskatchewan River valley from Glenora
Type	Park system
Location	Edmonton Metropolitan Region, Alberta, Canada
Area	7,300 hectares (18,000 acres)

The North Saskatchewan River valley parks system, also known as the Ribbon of Green or the River Valley Parks, is a continuous collection of urban parks around the North Saskatchewan River valley in the Edmonton Metropolitan Region of Alberta, Canada. The park system encompasses over 7,300 hectares (18,000 acres) of parkland, making it the largest contiguous area of urban parkland in the country. The park system is made up of over 30 provincial and municipal parks situated around the river from Devon to Fort Saskatchewan, with trails connecting most of the parks together.

Proposals to create a large park along Edmonton's riverfront were first proposed by landscape architect Frederick Todd in 1907, although the formation of a park system did not take shape until the late 20th century. In 1996, the River Valley Alliance (RVA) was formed to coordinate the development of the park system across the metropolitan region. Although large portions of the river valley are public parkland, some sections of the river valley are privately owned. In addition to the park system, the river valley is also used by the metropolitan area for stormwater management.

Most of the river valley is grasslands, although sections of it are forested. The river valley supports a high level of biodiversity and is used as a wildlife corridor by a variety of animals.