The document discusses the benefits of open space planning. It notes that parks and trails enhance quality of life and economic development by attracting young professionals and families. Open space planning can minimize stress while maximizing interactions. The document then discusses existing land development challenges, defines open spaces, and argues that open spaces improve health, connect communities, and provide economic opportunities. It stresses the need to preserve valued lands and resources through integrated open space networks, management plans, and addressing challenges and opportunities in Newfoundland and Labrador.

1. Benefits of Open Space Planning
ATLANTIC GREEN FORUM AND DESIGN CHARETTE
St. John’s, NL
OCTOBER 10 | 2012

2. “The parks and trails that make up
Corner Brook Stream have enhanced
the quality of life, and general
economic development from the
perspective of attracting young
professionals to the City.”
– Corner Brook Mayor Greeley
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3. “It is enticing to young families and
attracts people to local businesses.”
– Keith Goulding,
President of Greater Corner Brook Board of Trade
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4. ROLE OF OPEN SPACE PLANNING:
“to minimize people’s distress while
maximizing interactions…”
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5. A. Existing Conditions
B. What is Open Space?
C. Sustainable Communities and
Open Space Planning
D. Torbay Case Study
E. Challenges and Opportunities in NL
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6. A | Existing Conditions
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7. Land Development NE Avalon:
• Occurring at unprecedented rate
• Impacts on land use / function
(local and regional) unknown
• Pre-emptive land strategies needed
• Organize and balance developed
and undeveloped space
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8. Land Development NE Avalon:
• Poor OS planning eliminate
future opportunities
• Eroding valued amenities such
as the Grand Concourse
• Lack of protection leads to
destruction of natural
environment
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9. B | What is an Open Space? Why is it important?
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10. Develop and Undeveloped Land
• Agricultural
• Recreational
• Cultural
• Terrestrial-Aquatic Systems
• Wildlife Habitat
• Urban Plazas
• Streets
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11. Cultural and Historical Land
• Reinforce and retell the story
of community
• Celebrate heritage of place
and people
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12. Open Spaces are Networks
• Physically and socially connects people
and communities
• Negates sprawl that removes networks
and connections
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13. Open Spaces create Opportunities
• Enhances Individual and Community
Health/Well Being
• Positive correlation exists between
well being and proximity to parks
and green spaces
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14. Open Spaces are Economic Opportunities
• Developers
• Municipalities
• Individual home-owners
• Higher equity the closer to green space
• When we link open space to higher densities
greater economics through preservation.
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15. Open Spaces differentiates Place
• Enhances community attachment
• Creates beauty (built and natural)
• Encourages interaction
• For everyone
• Elevates distinctiveness
• Makes place matter and increases local GPD
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16. The Need:
Preserve and Protect What is Valued
• Land development often externalizes costs
to the natural environment.
• Land clearing overwhelms environmental
features. Once gone, it is gone.
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17. The Need:
Preserve and Protect What is Valued
• Preservation of natural systems through strategies of:
- watershed storm water management,
- streamside protection measures,
- tree retention and replanting policies,
- site grading requirements and identification of sensitive areas.
• Emphasize the benefit of urban spaces as an integral part of
the community.
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18. C | Sustainable Communities
and Open Space Planning
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19. Intent of Sustainable
Community Planning
• Manage future change: comprehensive, integrated and
inclusive.
• From short term to long term.
• Balance the natural and built physical environments.
• Understand local assets: economic, social, cultural and
environmental.
• Positively effect community design, function, prosperity
and livability.
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20. Best first steps to Sustainable
Open Space Planning:
1. Preserve and Protect what is valued.
2. Plan for an integrated system of parks, trails
and urban spaces (squares, streets, etc.)
3. Put an Open Space Management Plan in
place to protect the resource.
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21. 1 | Preserve and Protect
what is valued.
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22. Use Land, Water and Energy Resources
• “Green” network
• Non-developable lands identified and
protected
• Waterway and coastal riparian zones, steep
slopes, sensitive habitats, existing recreation
facilities, ceremonial lands, cemeteries,
special places, viewing areas, etc.
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23. Use Land, Water and Energy Resources
• Comprehensive land use mapping inventory:
– property information; location, features
and acreage
– area amount of environmentally sensitive
and recreational lands (knowing what is not
developable helps to provide certainty of
what is developable)
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24. 2 | Plan for an integrated system
of parks, trails and urban spaces
(squares, streets, etc.)
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25. Parks and Trails
• Represent an appreciating asset
• Proximity influences activity
• Sought after recreation
• Year-round recreation activity
• Best examples in NL the Grand Concourse, Corner Brook
Stream and east Coast Trail.
• Huge economic benefit.
• Influence resident and businesses
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26. To Ensure Success:
• Design professionally with community input
• Use to interpret and connect the community
• As community grows so should your trail system
• An Open Space Management Plan the best way
to protect your trail network
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27. Plan to:
• Build a Green Infrastructure Network
• Developed in context of Municipal Plan and Parks
and Recreation Master Plan
• Identify a community wide integrated green
transportation system.
• Ideally developed with Advanced Street Network
Plan.
• Design opportunities to link to schools, local
commercial, institutions, etc.
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28. Plan to:
• Prepare a short and longer term parkland
acquisition strategy.
• Create a park hierarchy: regional, community-wide,
neighbourhood wide and local.
• Link to regional networks: GCA, East Coast Trail
• Make Distinct to Community
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29. D | Put an Open Space Management
Plan in place to protect the
resource – Torbay Case Study
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30. Torbay Open Space Master Plan
• Identified in Parks and Recreation Master
• Proposed integration with Municipal Plan,
establish open spaces buffers and protect via
development regulations
• Link developable lands and key recreation and
community assets and facilities
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31. TORBAY | OPEN SPACE MANAGEMENT
Existing Open Space Typology
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32. TORBAY | OPEN SPACE MANAGEMENT
Development Assessment
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33. TORBAY | OPEN SPACE MANAGEMENT
Proposed Open Space Typology
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34. TORBAY |
Inner Loop
Zoning Amendments
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35. TORBAY |
Outer Loop
Zoning Amendments
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36. TORBAY | OPEN SPACE
Development Concept
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37. TORBAY |
Phase One Developments
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38. Open Space Plan Status:
• Land ownership mapping has been conducted for the
entire corridor.
• Town seeking approval to access Crown Lands identified.
• Access to additional lands as park of 10% development
requirement or through private owner agreement
• Construction proposed to begin in Spring 2014
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39. E | Challenges and Opportunities
in Newfoundland and Labrador
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40. Challenges:
• Urban and Rural Planning Act outdated
• Principles of Sustainable Planning not adopted
• No Regional OS Planning
• Integrated Planning not the norm
• Open Space allocated on per
development vs. community-wide system
• Open Space not properly integrated with
new developments
• Land ownership and mapping info lacking
• Value of investment not clearly understood.
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41. Opportunities:
• NL Lands Acts and Riparian zone legislation
• Legislate access to waterways, coastline and ponds
• Significant amounts of Crown Lands available
• Added equity for developer and enhanced tax base
• Sought after by residents
• Appreciating asset, positive impact on local GDP
• Three champion projects: GC and CBS and ECT
• OS Management Strategy part of St. John’s Mun Plan
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42. Benefits of Open Space Planning
ATLANTIC GREEN FORUM AND DESIGN CHARETTE
St. John’s, NL
OCTOBER 10 | 2012