Newport Open Space Initiative to Launch

July 13, 2014

Thanks to a grant from the van Beuren Charitable Foundation, the Newport Open Space Partnership is embarking on a comprehensive open space planning process to create a vision for the long-term sustainability and stewardship of the parks, public open spaces, and trees in Newport. This initiative will be the first citywide open space planning effort since Olmsted’s 1913 “Proposed Improvements for Newport.”

“Open space” is defined broadly – parks, natural areas, beaches, boulevards, sidewalks and bicycle lanes, the Harbor Walk, the Cliff Walk, plazas and sidewalk cafes, cemeteries, and other public open spaces. Planning for these diverse open spaces must consider issues of historic preservation, community needs (social, recreational and other), economic development, wildlife habitat and ever‐changing environmental conditions, including sea level rise.

The Master Plan will address two key questions:

How can we balance the needs of our residents and visitors with protection of our shoreline, historic harbor neighborhoods and native wildlife habitat?

How can we create a planning environment that provides a clear and inclusive civic process for park decision‐making?

This planning process will result in very deep civic engagement over the next two years and will also seek to create the lasting infrastructure, processes, and tools necessary for Newport’s Public Services and Civic Investment Departments to remain meaningfully connected with civic groups, park users, and other members of our community. Improved engagement processes will encourage greater public participation in planning and stewardship activities, helping our open spaces to flourish and contributing to the greater well-being of our city for years to come.

We hope this comprehensive planning effort will demonstrate Newport’s commitment to open space planning and development that is forward-thinking, historically sensitive, environmentally aware, economically sound – and based on a foundation of shared goals, wide community involvement, and pragmatic and civil consensus-building.