Defining Open Space

When we've discussed the drought and the extra rainfall this year, the Mister reminds me that there are several ways to define whether the drought is over. Our entire reservoir system in Arizona is currently at 88%, the Water Expert tells me, up from 40% at this time last year, and when the snow pack melts, it will be substantially more full; is that the definition? We've had above average rainfall for two years in a row - I'd forgotten about that extra rain last year because it pales in comparison to this year - is two years enough? Arizona's forests have had a terrible bark beetle infestation due to dry trees; do we wait until the bark beetles are gone to declare the drought over?

So I think similar questions can be asked about open space. One of the themes repeated in the rhetorical war against sprawl is the loss of open space. If we keep growing, we will lose the desert vistas, I hear. Or, on a more personal level, some of our neighbors didn't want to lose the views of the mountains over the alfalfa fields (neither did we, but I've posted about that before). And on the most personal level, the Mister grew up in a house on a field, with seemingly unlimited open space, and he wasn't sure he wanted to live in a "housing development packed cheek to jowl" (now there's a phrase from the past). So what is open space?

The town of Gilbert requires 10% open space in residential developments; this refers to parks, trails, playgrounds, and such. Most developments end up at about 15%. Morrison Ranch is at 22%. This includes the parks, trails, green belts, and playgrounds. This does not include the parkways or the common area lining the streets, which adds more green to the eye, and eventually will provide more shade (do the trees decrease the open space, or enhance it?).

A buzzword in our office is view corridors; that is, what do you see when you look from this or that direction? A view of the grain silos or the lake is a premier view, but that's not possible from every spot. What is possible is to keep the views open, or at least ending in green rather than walls. When you look down a street, usually the ending view will be a park of some sort, or at least a line of trees. The goal is to promote the open space that we have, and to soften the ends of streets with lush foliage instead of hammering the eyes with concrete walls, or even houses. When you take your next walk through Morrison Ranch, check out the view corridors, and you'll see what I mean.

The picture above this post was taken from a playground in Higley Groves East. The park/playground is open space, and the view corridor gives a glimpse of the grain tanks.