An introduction
The quality and quantity of open spaces in a city, particularly public open space, is a vital part of our quality of life. Open space is used for a range of activities including organised sport, passive recreation, children's play, sitting and relaxing, and socialising. It is valued for its amenity value, it can be used for treating stormwater, carrying out commercial activities (personal training, markets etc) and where it has remnant native vegetation, adds to our biodiversity. More recently, open spaces have become important places to display public art.
Dr Middle has been the lead researcher and author of a number of studies involving open space, in particular, into the supply of active playing fields in the new suburbs of Perth.
Click on there links below for details of a couple of these projects. You can also follow this link to Garry's open space blog.