Why open space matters in a city.

Natural land does not need to be enormous to shape the experience of a neighborhood.

A view can be part of a place.

Wooded slopes, exposed rock, mature trees and distant water can create a visual identity that residents recognize long before they put it into words.

Small protected pieces add up.

Land conservation is often about preventing incremental loss: one lot, one slope, one stand of trees at a time.

Open space is not a single category.

Some land is public. Some is private. Some is protected through conservation easements. The important distinction is that protection and public access are not automatically the same thing.