Closed Minds about “Open Space”

Image: yoodooallous via Flickr

Open space is a word we use a lot — and I wish we wouldn’t. I recommend that you use “natural area” instead. Here’s an example that illustrates why:

In their landmark “Language of Conservation” piece, the firms Fairbanks Maslin and Maullin and Public Opinion Strategies wrote, “In focus groups, voters perceived ‘open space‘ as empty land, not near them, and did not necessarily see how they could benefitted from it or could use it.”

I recalled this work when a reader forwarded me a newspaper editorial calling on Maryland to use money from it’s “Open Space Trust Fund” to purchase an at-risk tract. Here’s the first comment on the story:

When is Maryland going to have a Busch Gardens or Six Flags near Ocean City like Virginia Beach has? That’s my kind of open space.

Therefore… all together now… Natural area. Natural area. Natural area. Natural area!

Thanks for the tip, A.P.!

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