Regional Open Space Management

Open space is essential for well-being in urban life, but it is not possible to rely on the market to provide or preserve it. Using examples from across Europe this book demonstrates the need for governmental intervention to deliver a successful urban space strategy.

Americans are committing 'country-cide', says Rick Pruetz, FAICP, converting farms into suburban yards and channeling streams that once provided flood control, water purification, habitats, and recreational opportunities. But rather than rail against overdevelopment, this book celebrates communities succeeding in preservation. For ten years Pruetz explored communities that excel in saving their natural environment. In twenty-four illustrated vignettes, he captures the character of places from the volcanic range near downtown Albuquerque, New Mexico, to Minneapolis’s Grand Rounds park system, to farmland improbably preserved on Long Island. As the longtime city planner of Burbank, California, Pruetz offers more than an appreciation of these communities. He brings a planner’s-eye view of the practices behind their achievements. His detailed reports of creative preservation solutions mark the trail for planners, commissioners, and citizens who seek to preserve the green legacy in their own backyards.

The Growth Management Act (GMA) charts a new course for Washington communities that has tremendous implications for parks, recreation, and open space planning. The GMA promotes wise use of limited land and resources which helps in sprawling, low-density land use that represents a threat to open space in this state.