To complete Phase I (of III) of Open Space Plan development focused on building relationships and identifying guiding community values related to open space. 

Through public listening, stakeholder engagement, and peer community learning, jurisdictions can learn their community’s needs.

Conversations around land ownership can have visceral reactions, from those who own it, to those who have had it taken from them or their ancestors, and everyone in between who connects with land in some way. Trying to have all-inclusive messaging about something as sensitive as land can be extremely challenging.

Communication can be more effective if it is broken down into different carefully planned engagements with different target audiences at different stages, rather than launching a broad, inclusive, but possibly vague, messaging.

Providing access to public land may not be sufficiently restorative to those who have lost ancestral lands. It is important to continue to build relationships and creative stewardship solutions that promote healing.