Why Set Regional Open Space Priorities?
Sprawl development in southeastern Pennsylvania is severely impacting the region’s ecological resources and green spaces. A 2003 report by the Brookings Institution5 noted that in the region over the 15 years from 1982 to1997: • 131,000 acres of land were converted to urban uses. • Nearly 55,000 acres of prime farmland were lost. • 122,300 new households were built. Recent years have also seen the following: • Migration of employment opportunities to suburban locations. • Extensive highway construction to accommodate increased traffic loads, which in itself consumes open space and facilitates highway-dependent commercial development. • Scattered development leads to fragmentation of large areas of undeveloped land into smaller, less ecologically valuable parcels. • Threats to water supply, both qualitative and quantitative. • A growing demand for outdoor recreational opportunities such as biking, hiking, fishing, and boating. • The decline of older communities, many of which were built
