With the rapid growth of American metropolitan areas, it is essential to plan for the preservation of open space before development occurs on lands which would better be left undeveloped. Although there is a long tradition of parks and open space planning in American cities, planning efforts over the past twenty-five years (since 1960) have not been systematically reviewed and there remains no set standard to guide the planning of regional-scale open space. Two foundations of open space planning are examined: its roles in guiding urban form, and in preserving natural processes in the city. Six case studies of contemporary open space plans and systems elicit the fundamental criteria and decision processes for open space planning.

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