Finding elbow room in the concrete jungle

Imagine sitting under a tree, relaxing and enjoying the shade on a hot, clear summer day. Now imagine sitting in that same spot after the area has suffered intense urban development. You might find yourself reclining against a hot, dirty storefront, with litter strewn about the sidewalk, a few unpleasant smells in the air, and a smog-filled sky above the outline of buildings. You might yearn for that quiet spot under the tree.

Although the Bay Area is highly urbanized, there still exist local undeveloped areas, some of which are designated as “open space.” Open space preserves, unlike city parks, are lightly developed wilderness areas near urban centers with access points, trails, and occasionally a preserved historical structure. An open space is designed to provide a place of isolation and solitude and a chance to investigate the natural conditions and biodiversity of an otherwise densely populated area.

Three public open space districts exist in the Bay Area: the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District (MROSD), the Marin County Open Space District (MCOSD), and the Santa Clara County Open Space District (SCCOSD), the last of which will or will not have funding depending on the November election results in that county. Each of these district bodies has state authority to acquire and maintain properties as open space for free public use.

There are also several private, nonprofit organizations working to expand the open space of the Bay Area. They include the Trust For Public Land (TPL) and the Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST), which purchase, hold and protect land until it can be sold to a public agency. POST is also involved in helping to develop the San Francisco Bay Area Ridge Trail which, when completed, will run continuously around San Francisco Bay. Another group, Greenbelt Alliance, concerns itself with the entire Bay Area. In its efforts to protect the greenbelt that rings the bay, they coordinate their work with many other local groups with similar concerns. Greenbelt Alliance is also involved in the completion of the Bay Area Ridge Trail.

Recently, the MROSD sponsored the first International Open Space Conference in Palo Alto. Public and private organizations gathered to discuss and exchange information concerning all aspects of open space creation and preservation, reflecting the interconnectedness of the various efforts to maintain natural areas.

For more information on how you can help in open space preservation efforts, learn more about the agencies involved, or simply enjoy the open space around the Bay Area, call your local open space district or Greenbelt Alliance:

Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District
Old Mill Office Cntr., Bldg. C-135
210 San Antonio Circle
Mountain View, CA 94040
(415) 949-5500

Marin County Open Space District Marin Civic Center
San Rafael, CA 94903
(415) 499-6387

Santa Clara County Open Space District
(No address available)
(404) 299-4296 (Interim phone number)

Greenbelt Alliance
116 New Montgomery, Suite 640
San Francisco, CA 94105
(415) 543-4291

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Published in Action vol 1, no 3 · Nov–Dec 1990