Open Space Planning

The Miami Valley is fortunate to encompass both rural landscapes and vibrant urban centers. This diversity provides for a range of cultural and recreational opportunities for Miami Valley residents, while offering everyone a full spectrum of residential and employment options. Open space preservation, including both natural area conservation and farmland preservation, is a tool for managing and shaping regional development to preserve both urban and rural character for future generations.

Throughout 2015 MVRPC partnered with Greater Dayton Partners for the Environment and agencies across a seven county area to inventory, assess, and plan for the future of Open Space in the Miami Valley. Open Spaces are vital for recreational enjoyment of the outdoors, entertainment, and simple personal well-being. In addition Open Spaces provide critical environmental services, such as flood control, improving water and air quality, and providing vital habitat for plants, insects, and animals. Open Spaces are truly a part of what makes any region a great place to live, and so the Open Space Plan is intended to guide the ongoing process of conserving natural areas for the enjoyment of future generations.

The Open Space Plan covers seven counties: Clark, Darke, Greene, Miami, Montgomery, Preble and Warren Counties in southwest Ohio. The Plan contents include an overview of past open space plans and reports, an assessment of the current open space inventory, and a visioning analysis for identification of priority locations for future conservation. The plan identifies potential agencies for implementation and available funding opportunities.

This Open Space planning process is a natural complement to MVRPC’s recently completed Going Places Land Use Visioning process. While Going Places was focused on developed and developable land, a recommendation arising from the study was to develop tools to protect and conserve natural features and resources. The Open Space Plan will be one such tool, which conservation agencies, land trusts, and jurisdictions can use as a guide for future investments.

Question, comments or for more information, contact Matt Lindsay. MVRPC Manager of Environmental Planning. Matt may also be reached by telephone at (937) 531-6548.

Open Space Report - April 2016