• Managing a project
• Categories of PDL
• Checklist Process
  • Step 1: Site and early vision
  • Step 2: Developing project partnership
  • Step 3: Baseline information gathering
  • Step 4: Vision and objectives
  • Step 5: Development and delivery
  • Step 6: Maintenance and management
  • Step 7: Monitoring and review
  • Step 8: Consultation

The opportunities associated with creating open green spaces

To develop an open space project, the opportunity needs to be identified and championed effectively, in particular where there may be competing demands for land use or a low level of interest in investing in what may be perceived to be a difficult project. It is important to be clear on what the available opportunities are and to have a strong vision to encourage interest and support.

A vision should be a statement that summarises the key aspirations for a project. It should seek to highlight the main long-term aim of a scheme, describing what the expected result (or outcome) of a project will be.

Having established a vision, the ground is laid for developing more detailed project objectives. Objectives set out how a vision can be taken forward by taking certain elements of a vision and explaining in more detail what that might mean. An example where education is a component of the vision could read “the open space project will promote learning opportunities about biodiversity through the use of signage and through making connections with the local primary and secondary schools”.