Smart
growth uses the term “open space”
broadly to mean natural areas both in and surrounding
localities that provide important community
space, habitat for plants and animals, recreational
opportunities, farm and ranch land (working
lands), places of natural beauty and critical
environmental areas (e.g. wetlands). Open space
preservation supports smart growth goals by
bolstering local economies, preserving critical
environ-mental areas, improving our communities
quality of life, and guiding new growth into
existing communities.
There
is growing political will to save the "open
spaces" that Americans treasure. Voters
in 2000 overwhelmingly approved ballot measures
to fund open space protection efforts. The reasons
for such support are varied and attributable
to the benefits associated with open space protection.
Protection of open space provides many fiscal
benefits, including increasing local property
value (thereby increasing property tax bases),
providing tourism dollars, and decreases local
tax increases (due to the savings of reducing
the con-struction of new infrastructure). Management
of the quality and supply of open space also
ensures that prime farm and ranch lands are
available, prevents flood damage, and provides
a less expensive and natural alternative for
providing clean drinking water.
The
availability of open space also provides significant
environmental quality and health benefits. Open
space protects animal and plant habitat, places
of natural beauty, and working lands by removing
the development pressure and redirecting new
growth to existing communities. Additionally,
preservation of open space benefits the environment
by combating air pollution, attenuating noise,
controlling wind, providing erosion control,
and moderating temperatures. Open space also
protects surface and ground water resources
by filtering trash, debris, and chemical pollutants
before they enter a water system.
