Open Space Plan

The purpose of the Open Space Plan for the City of Portsmouth, NH is to improve public access to, increase use and stewardship of, and improve connectivity between open space assets city-wide. The Plan was finalized in February of 2020 and it supports the Master Plan goal of managing existing and acquiring additional open spaces for passive recreation and environmental preservation. The Plan builds on the comprehensive Public Undeveloped Lands Assessment (PULA), identifies and prioritizes additional undeveloped land for protection, provides land stewardship guidance for existing open space lands, and works to identify opportunities to expand connectivity between open space assets, neighborhoods and trails. The Plan also considers integration of climate resiliency objectives as they relate to open space.    

The plan establishes a City-wide strategy for land protection and preservation; plans for establishing new or formalizing existing access to passive recreational areas and balancing public access and types of uses with sustainable management practices; formalizes links to and between these assets to ensure access from residential and work place areas citywide. The Plan guides and prioritizes capital investments and identifies funding opportunities including public/private partnerships and is a tool for coordinating city-wide projects, policies, and programs related to open space and recreation.