The title of a report from the Trust for Public Land
says it all: The Economic Benefits of Parks and Open Space: How
Land Conservation Helps Communities Grow Smart and Protect the
Bottom Line. As cities create parks, city economies usually improve
and property values go up, say report authors Steve Lerner and
William Poole. They point to California’s Napa County, which
figured out how to save $500 million on flood repairs by spending
$160 million to acquire 500 acres of floodplain. Owning the land
meant the county could allow the Napa River to flow without costly
flood control; it also meant open space for residents. For a free
copy of the 48-page report, contact the Trust for Public Lands, 116
New Montgomery St., 4th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94105
(800/714-5263); e-mail:
mailbox@tpl.org.
This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline The Economic Benefits of Parks and Open Space.
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