The Town of Brookline’s Department of Public Works (DPWorks) issued its 2025 Open Space Plan in the fall of 2025. This comprehensive document provides an inspiring perspective on “the Town’s diverse open space system, its complex needs, and the open space and recreation goals of the community. Although Brookline is a long-established community in which most land area has been developed, there remain significant and important open space resources throughout the town. The thoughtful care, protection, and management of the town’s open space system is interconnected to the climate action goals of the community, making climate mitigation and adaptation a central focus of this plan.
Brookline’s open space resources range in scale from grand, historic parks and private
estates to small pocket parks and public gathering places in commercial areas. The
system includes nature sanctuaries which are home to native wildlife and plants; parks
managed primarily for active and passive recreation; pedestrian pathways, greenways
and wildlife corridors; wetlands and other natural resource areas; and a vital urban forest.
The environmental and public health benefits that accrue from this open space network
are considerable, and its presence also contributes greatly to the aesthetic appeal of the
community.”
[The Plan defines open space as:]
- Land substantially in a natural state or landscaped in such a manner as to allow the
preservation of wildlife and other natural resources; and
- Land and space intentionally designed to contribute to openness and promote natural
resource values as a part of built space.”
Read the full report.
