Open Space & Recreation
Carol Getchell Trail, Saxonville, MA
Creating Accessible and Welcoming Places in Balance with Nature
Horsley Witten Group believes that a community’s open space and recreational resources provide important environmental, social, and economic benefits to its residents and businesses. We have helped many Massachusetts communities successfully update their local Open Space and Recreation Plans in accordance with the Division of Conservation Services.
While the overall structure of these plans is the same, each community is unique and faces individual challenges in meeting resource protection, recreational, and management needs. We apply diverse approaches to public engagement to understand where the community is at, where it wants to be, and how it can get there
We develop inventories and assess conditions and draft a realistic action plan, recognizing that many communities have limited staff as well as financial and technical resources. We enjoy working with communities to understand the financial, physical, social, or cultural barriers and gaps that may prevent participation and use of local resources with a goal of finding opportunities that will increase access and make spaces more welcoming.
“It has been a pleasure to work with HW. They are very knowledgeable and the process was thorough. This project has helped us set a course for the future as we begin our capital plan campaign.” Natasha Harrison, Former Executive Director, Norman Bird Sanctuary, RI
Areas of Expertise
Our planners and designers bring specialized knowledge across a broad range of project types, with particular depth in
Coastal Open Space and Recreation Plans
In coastal communities, such as Marshfield and Brewster, our planners understand their unique challenges such as sea level rise, coastal flooding, and storm surge. It is important to integrate climate resilience plans and programs. These include OSRP policies and actions to support the protection and enhancement of marshes, dunes, and other shore environments.
Urban Open Space and Recreation Plans
As part of their OSRPs, all communities will direct specific attention to the needs of its environmental justice neighborhoods and vulnerable populations. Communities such as Watertown and Arlington are building relationships through initiatives with local organizations to better serve these residents.
Suburban Open Space and Recreation Plans
As open spaces are acquired and protected, management of these resources can be daunting. Communities such as Hudson and North Andover, through their OSRPs, identified the need to build capacity to better maintain and manage its conservation areas with public access.
We have worked with the following municipalites:
Attleboro, Arlington, Billerica, Bourne, Brewster, Burlington, Canton, Dedham, Falmouth, Hudson, Marshfield, North Andover, Provincetown, Reading, Stoughton, Wakefield, Watertown, Weymouth.
Work With Us
Have a unique challenge that needs a sustainable solution?
Let's talk about what your community or organization needs and how our team of experts can help.