In this episode we are talking about the case — or really the many, MANY cases — for open space. While it would take several libraries to thoroughly go through all the reasons why open space is important, we went to the expert on land use policy and economic development issues.

Ed McMahon is the senior resident fellow at the Urban Land Institute (ULI). Ed is a sought after thought leader and author on economic development and land use policies and trends. During the past 30 years, he has worked with more than 600 communities in all 50 states on a wide variety of land use and economic development issues.

In this episode, Ed helps us answer questions like why placemaking is so important and why land developers should always invest in parks and open space. He also talks about why initiatives like the 10-Minute Walk Campaign – a joint initiative between NRPA, ULI and the Trust for Public Land (TPL) – are beneficial to all cities.

Resources mentioned:

• ULI’s Case for Open Space Report
• Information about the 10-Minute Walk Initiative
• Ed McMahon’s Ted X Talk