Date of Award

5-2026

Degree Type

Creative Project

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning

Committee Chair(s)

Jake Powell

Committee

Jake Powell

Committee

Carlos Licon

Committee

Nate Trauntvein

Abstract

Open Space Management Plans (OSMPs) are increasingly used by municipalities to guide the long-term stewardship of natural lands; however, little formal guidance exists regarding how these plans are structured, developed, or organized in practice. While numerous OSMPs are publicly available, their compositional logic, procedural workflows, and thematic priorities remain largely undocumented within academic literature. This study addresses that gap through a qualitative document analysis of fifteen publicly accessible OSMPs from the western United States, published between 2015 and 2024.

Using manual matrix-based coding in Microsoft Excel, each plan was analyzed through three lenses: structural composition, procedural development, and thematic content. The structural analysis identified recurring organizational patterns and two dominant structural models: system-wide management frameworks and parcel-specific management frameworks. The procedural analysis revealed uneven documentation of plan-writing processes; however, among plans that described their development, a consistent six-step sequence emerged, progressing from project initiation and data collection to stakeholder engagement, drafting, review, and adoption. The thematic analysis identified a core set of management priorities, including ecosystem stewardship, habitat protection, trail management, community access, and public engagement, alongside a secondary tier of less consistently addressed themes such as climate adaptation, monitoring protocols, equity, and fiscal planning.

These findings were synthesized into a reference framework outlining commonly observed structural components, procedural steps, and thematic priorities in contemporary open space management planning. The framework was then evaluated against a Natural Open Space and Wildlife Habitat Management Plan developed for Eagle Mountain City, Utah, serving as a case study application. Together, the research and applied components contribute to a clearer understanding of current OSMP practice and provide a structured foundation to support future municipal open space management planning efforts.

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