UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- As more communities become concerned with development, urban and suburban sprawl and zoning issues, urban planners and municipal officials should not forget the value of open or natural spaces within a community, says a community forestry expert in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences.

"On a practical level, open spaces can improve water quality and availability, recreation opportunities and wildlife habitat," explains Bill Elmendorf, instructor and urban and community forest program coordinator in the School of Forest Resources. "Open places also generate feelings of quiet, beauty, solitude and freedom for individuals who use them."

Elmendorf explains that the term "open space" means large connected areas within a city or housing development that are planned for and remain undeveloped. Examples might include a city park, a natural wetland, a meadow or an area bordering a creek or river.

"The benefits of open spaces to a community include increased property values and an enhanced community image for its citizens," Elmendorf says. "Open space can provide protection for historic landscapes as well as providing people with a sense of permanence so opposition to change in other parts of the community may be lessened."

Elmendorf points out that open space planning will become increasingly important to municipalities as larger cities and suburbs expand their boundaries into areas that were once rural. In Pennsylvania, he says, areas such as Philadelphia and its suburbs, Pittsburgh and its suburbs, Lancaster County and other growing areas are losing their sense of individuality as growth occurs. "The scale of open space is important when planning for development," Elmendorf says. "It won't work if a small residential lot is left undeveloped so three trees and a couple birds can live there. So more residents can benefit, planners and developers must plan for open space creatively within the context of the entire community."

Elmendorf warns that planning for open space cannot work without an effective land-use planning process. In Pennsylvania, land-use planning is even more difficult because all of the state's 2,300 municipalities are autonomous, making it difficult to gain consensus on large-scale land-planning decisions.

"There really is no comprehensive planning in most municipalities," he says. "In addition, many communities have inadequate or antiquated zoning ordinances and a poor review and modification process for development proposals."

To prepare for including open spaces in development plans, Elmendorf suggests communities establish a natural resource inventory for the entire municipality; a Geographic Information System to analyze land use issues; and a comprehensive plan that considers and supports the use of open space in any subdivision or new development.

Elmendorf also recommends that communities form partnerships to establish development plans collectively and to distribute the expense of acquiring land or properties to be used for open space.

"Multi-jurisdictional alliances work if there is strong leadership and careful planning," he says. "The longer a community waits, the more unchecked growth will occur, which makes it much more expensive to acquire land and include plans for the use of open space."

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EDITORS: To contact Bill Elmendorf, call 814-863-7941 or e-mail wfe1@psu.edu.

Contact: Jeff Mulhollem jjm29@psu.edu 814-863-2719 814-863-9877 fax #264