Open Spaces

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Prakash Aryal
SPRING Programme 2013/2014
School of Urban and Regional Planning
University of the Philippines Diliman, Quezon City

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 Presentation Outline
– What is Open Space?
– Different types of open spaces
– Its functions and uses
– Benefits and values of having open spaces
– How can we preserve open spaces
– Open space planning in The Philippines
– Summary
 Open Spaces
What it is?
• Land or open surface open to sky !
• Surface not covered by impermeable surface!
Characteristic
• Relatively free from development
• Vegetated to provide visual contrast to man made
environment
• It is much more than a leftover category of land.

Source: Rye, R.D., 1998

 Open Spaces
What it is?...

Physically, Open space is described as -

• Land not intensively developed for residential,
commercial, industrial or institutional uses.
• Public or privately held land.
• Agricultural lands and forests.
• Undeveloped shorelines and scenic lands
• Public parks and preserves.
• Water bodies, wetlands, streams, floodplains.

Source: H. Clough & Associates LLP,2007

 Open Spaces

Open Spaces contains one or more of the followings-

• Rural landscape
• Ecological and environmentally sensitive areas
• Recreation areas
• Trails

Source: H. Clough & Associates LLP,2007

Ian McHarg,1967 identified 8 important types
of open space
• Surface water
• Marshes
• Flood plains
• Aquifers
• Aquifers recharge areas
• Steep lands
• Prime agriculture land
• Urban forest and wood lands

Source: McHarg, L. I. (1967).

 Types of Open spaces..

A. Utility Open Spaces

B. General open spaces
C. Corridor open space
D. Multi use open space

Source: Rye, R.D., 1998

 Types of Open spaces..

A. Utility Open Spaces

i. Resource lands- for production and extraction, eg.
Forests, grazing areas, lakes and rivers for water supply
ii. Urban utility space- Dam sites, reservoir, land fills,
waste disposal area, treatment facilities
iii. Flood control and drainage- flood plain, flood banks,
watershed, drainage ways etc.
iv. Reserves and preserves- forest, area for wildlife, lands
for future expansion etc.

Source: Rye, R.D., 1998

 Types of Open spaces
B. General open spaces
i. Wilderness areas- Scenic & ecological values etc.
ii. Protected areas- controlled for development, coastline
and shore areas etc.
iii. Natural parks- National parks, forests, city parks etc.
iv. Urban parks- Zoos, botanical garden, urban forest, water
bodies, amphitheater etc.
v. Recreational areas- golf courses, play grounds,
swimming pools, picnic area etc.
vi. Urban development open spaces- Green belts, setbacks
and open space around buildings etc.
Source: Rye, R.D., 1998
 Types of Open spaces

C. Corridor open space- Right of way spaces of

highway, streets etc.
D. Multi use open space- Campuses, private clubs with
recreation facilities, cemeteries & garden areas etc.

Source: Rye, R.D., 1998

 Function of open space

Adequate open space is vital for proper functioning of

urban system.
Functions
– To give structure, shape and form to the city.
– To provide space needed for recreation, preserve
scenic value, protect watershed, aquifers, natural
habitats, flora and fauna and provide natural
drainage

Source: Rye, R.D., 1998

 Benefits of open space
A. Social benefits
– Interaction between man and nature, enjoyment,
recreation etc.
B. Aesthetic benefits
– Preserve natural beauty, improve ugliness, buffering
unpleasant view and disturbing spaces, visual relief
from manmade cityscapes.
C. Psychological
– Maintain emotional well being

Source: Rye, R.D., 1998

 Benefits of open space
D. Economic
– Spatial improvement are linked to cities economic
future through development.
E. Structuring development
– Buffer between conflicting land use
F. Ecological process
– Adequate amount of carefully located spaces are
necessary for the improved management and use of
our essential natural resources, air and water

Source: Rye, R.D., 1998

The Value of Open Space

• There is value to preserving most types of open

space land uses, but the values tend to vary widely
with the size of the area, the proximity of the open
space to residences, the type of open space, and the
method of analysis.

• Both publicly held and privately held lands can

provide open space benefits, but because people
who do not directly own the land still enjoy the
benefits, open space is likely to be underprovided by
the private sector.
Source: H. Clough & Associates LLP,2007
The Value of Open Space…
• Beyond the benefits to private land owners Open space
provides a range of benefits to citizens of a community
• Parks and natural areas -recreation;
• wetlands and forests supply storm-water drainage and
wildlife habitat;
• farms and forests provide aesthetic benefits to
surrounding residents.
• And in rapidly growing urban and suburban areas, any
preserved land can offer relief from congestion and
other negative effects of development.

Source: H. Clough & Associates LLP,2007

 The Value of Open Space…

• It also depends on the size and location of open spaces.

(Small fragment open space or large open space in distant location.)
• use value- the benefit is related to seeing or using the open
space. ( such as having a pleasant view, experiencing improved water quality, or
having increased opportunity for viewing wildlife.)
• direct use of the open space –(without knowing that open space exists-
also called passive use values)
• People may get utility, or satisfaction, from knowing that
farms on the periphery of an urban area exist as they have
for generations.
How can we preserve open spaces

Situation
• Open spaces are competing with urban growth and
are on the losing ends
• The first one sacrificing for development is open
spaces
• Perception that open spaces like public parks do not
produce economic benefits
• Open spaces shouldn’t be thought as residual spaces.

Source: Rye, R.D., 1998

How can we preserve open spaces
• Economic efficiency is also necessary, analysis is
needed whether to invest on forest land, wet land or
agriculture which is important? Target most valuable
parcels so state and local governments, and
conservation organizations, must figure out
– how much land to target for preservation,
whether that land should be in private or public
ownership
– where open space should be located, and what
types of open space— farms, forests, wetlands,
parks, etc. are the most desirable.

Source: H. Clough & Associates LLP,2007

Open space planning in philippines
• Functional open space- an important element
of CLUP
– Functional open spaces are lands that are
deliberately kept in their open character for their
contribution towards maintaining the amenity
value of the environment.
Local open space (LGUs are responsible to manage)
- Communal forests, river banks, prime agricultural
lands, historical sites, environmentally critical and
hazardous areas could form part of open space.

Source: Serote, 2004

Open space planning in philippines
• Protected areas are part of the open space
system. NIPAS protected areas are:
– Strict nature reserve
– Natural park
– Natural environment
– Wildlife sanctuary
– Protected landscape or seascape
– Resource reserve
– Natural biotic area
– Other categories established by national and
international agreements

Source: Serote, 2004

Other protected areas are:
1. Non-NIPAS Categories
– Second growth forest (>1000m &>50% slope)
– Mangroves and fish sanctuaries
– Buffer strips along river banks in forest, agricultural land,
urban area etc.
2. Environmentally constrained areas
– Areas prone to weather and water related hazards,
vulnerable to earthquake-induced hazards, affected by
volcanic hazards and areas subject to erosion
3. Protected agricultural areas
4. Others
– Water sheds for domestic water supply source, Historic
sites, Utility easements, Visual corridors with high aesthetic
values, Geothermal reserves Source: Serote, 2004
 Environment and Natural Resources- Sectors and
Sub sectors for Ecological Profiling
a. Lands d. Park , wild life and other
i. Public lands reservations
ii. Private lands e. Water resources
iii. Ancestral domain i. Fresh water
b. Forest lands ii. Marine water
i. Protection forest f. Air quality
ii. Production forest g. Waste management areas
c. Mineral lands i. Solid
i. Metallic mineral lands ii. Liquid
ii. Non- metallic mineral iii. Toxic and hazardous
lands Source: DILG, 2008
 Open Space
Summary
• It is more than residual land.
• It is not physically intensively developed and can be
public and private.
• Regardless of the ownership of the land almost every
one can benefit from the open space
• Adequate open space is vital for the functioning of
urban system
• Planning and regulatory framework of the Philippines
have given emphasis on conserving and protecting
various types of open spaces.
We are crushing ourselves by crushing
open spaces

Start planning by respecting the value

of open space!
Thank you!

References
M. Connell Virginia and W. Margaret, 2005, THE VALUE OF OPEN
SPACE: EVIDENCE FROM STUDIES OF NONMARKET, Resources for the
Future
Clough Harbour & Associates LLP,2007, Natural resources and open
spaces conservation plan, Town of halfmoon, Saratoga County, New York
McHarg, L. I. (1967). Design with Nature. New York: American
Museum of Natural History.
Rye, R. D., Open spaces Development Plan of Quezon City,1998, MA
Thesis, School of Urban and Regional Planning, UP, Diliman
Rationalizing Local Planning System, A source book (2008) 1st
edition, Department of interior and local government, Bureau of Local
Government Development
Serote, E.M., Property, Patrimony & Territory, 2004, Foundations of
Land Use Planning in the Philippines, SURP-UPPDRF, UP, Quezon city