City Planning Department Publishes Open Space Plan

Portsmouth, New Hampshire – The City of Portsmouth Planning Department has released the Open Space Plan titled “Building A Resilient Future: An Open Space Plan for the City of Portsmouth.” The purpose of the Plan is to provide a blueprint to improve open space land for public access, use and stewardship, and to improve connectivity between open space assets city-wide. The new Open Space Plan complements the green street initiatives and sustainable site development initiatives incorporated in the City Master Plan.

Previous related studies such as the 2010 Recreation Needs Study, the 2015 Sagamore Creek Land Report and the 2010 Public Undeveloped Lands Assessment have inventoried undeveloped lands in the City for the purpose of establishing a baseline from which to determine priority areas for preservation, public access, or acquisition for recreational or preservation purposes. This Plan details a City-wide strategy for land protection and preservation; a plan for establishing or formalizing access to passive recreational areas; and guidelines for balancing public access and types of uses with sustainable management practices. The Plan also formalizes links to and between these assets to ensure access from residential and work place areas, citywide. The Plan is intended to guide and prioritize capital investments and identify funding opportunities including public/private partnerships. Moving forward, it will be a tool for coordinating city-wide projects, policies and programs related to open space and recreation.

The City of Portsmouth’s parks and existing open spaces provide opportunities for residents and visitors to enjoy recreation and access to trail networks and the shore, while stewarding ecosystem services such as habitat and storm protection. However, only 15% of the existing open spaces are permanently protected as conservation land, leaving the rest at risk of fragmentation, development or other disruptions to the natural resource network and green infrastructure that supports the resilience and quality of life that Portsmouth enjoys.

In June 2019, the City and its consulting team, comprised of Resilience Planning & Design, Greenfire GIS and Toole Design Group, conducted two community forums, hosted a table at Piscataqua Riverfest, and provided an online Wiki map and feedback forum to gather public input.  In August 2019, a Community Engagement Report summarizing the initiatives to engage residents about the City’s open space network was released.

These public meetings and discussions framed the foundations of the Open Space Plan that includes:

• A prioritized list of undeveloped parcels for future acquisition and/or permanent protection, identifying: 1) specific areas of the City’s open space network that have their own set of distinctive qualities and characteristics; 2) existing open spaces; and 3) key open space opportunities for acquisition, conservation easements, and/or improvements;
• Guidelines to evaluate current open space assets, land stewardship and management by the City;
• Opportunities for open space improvements and for increasing or protecting the ecosystem services of open space in the City.

“The purpose of this project was to develop a cohesive, comprehensive plan for the protection of open spaces and the natural resources they contain,” said City of Portsmouth Planning Director Juliet Walker in releasing the Plan. “This effort was informed by prior plans and studies developed by the City and conservation organizations, as well as direct feedback from the public. We believe the result is an exciting vision of Portsmouth’s future open space network that includes protected corridors of conservation land for all.”

The anticipated benefits from the Plan, once implemented, include:

• the potential to preserve more than 25% of the City as open space;
• improved access to natural areas and better wayfinding within these open spaces; and
• a tripling of dedicated trail miles within the City.

 “As Portsmouth works towards implementing this open space vision that enhances our entire ecosystem, the community benefits in the form of setting aside critical habitat for wildlife, places for recreation and public gathering, food and energy production, cleaner air and water, and flood control and storm protection. All of these elements contribute to the character and resilience of Portsmouth and provide opportunities for partnerships and collaborations as we implement this Plan over the coming decades,” Walker said.

For more information, visit the plan web page.