Utah's lawmakers and city officials could learn a few things about planning from the Brits.

Those people know how to deal with open space.

London, one of the most populous and historic cities in the world, has not skimped on open space. I was amazed at the size of London's parks when my wife and I were there on vacation a few years ago. They're huge.

Late one afternoon, we decided to walk to the London Zoo, which is at the extreme north end of Regent's Park. We started from the southern end, as that was the closest location to our lodging. I was expecting maybe a five-minute walk. But at more than 400 acres, it's six times larger than Salt Lake City's Liberty Park. It was almost dark by the time we got to the zoo.

Established in the early 1800s, Regent's Park is actually one of London's newer parks. Renowned Hyde Park came into existence in 1536. Greenwich Park was created in 1433. Richmond Park, which at 2,360 acres is more than 30 times larger than Liberty Park, was established in 1637.

How easy it would have been for various national or local entities to cover part or most of those treasures with asphalt in the succeeding years. The increasing population base must have made that an attractive option.

But the Royal Park system that kings put in place in the 1400s has held up nicely. The goal of the Royal Parks Agency, which manages the parks today, is to enhance, protect and preserve the parks for the benefit of this and future generations.

Of course, it's a little easier to establish open space by royal decree than by the legislative process. It doesn't make it any less important, though.

The message Norma Matheson, former U.S. Sen. Jake Garn and others representing the Nature Conservancy are spreading is that the time to preserve open space is now. "Twenty years from now, it's too late," said Tom Dolan, mayor of Sandy and chairman of the Utah League of Cities and Towns, during a meeting earlier this week with the Deseret News editorial board.

With 1 million more people expected to be added to Utah's population by 2020, the need for parks, open lands and recreation facilities will be critical.

Along with the Utah League of Cities and Towns and other groups, the Nature Conservancy is recommending a bold proposal — putting a one-eighth of 1 percent sales tax increase on the November ballot. It would generate $40 million a year that would be divided among local governments and state entities to buy land for open space, parks, trails and recreational facilities. It would cost the average homeowner $18 a year.

But Garn, who's been around the political block a few times (and the Earth from outer space, for that matter), should know that pushing for a ballot measure that includes a tax increase in the middle of a legislative session not only isn't going to fly, it isn't going to walk.

The Nature Conservancy didn't preheat the political oven, and so it's the one that's going to get cooked.

The approach was flawed, but the message isn't. A short-term and shortsighted approach to open space will result in closed space. While it's difficult to keep green space green, it's almost impossible to turn it back to open space once it's been paved.

The fact that lawmakers don't want to deal with growth and open space this session makes any substantive action doubtful. That's unfortunate.

View Comments

Private groups such as the Nature Conservancy and Envision Utah can provide some long-term insights into growth and open space, but at some point insights have to translate into money. That's where state and local government have to come forward.

Of course, there's the method that was used in England. Is any political leader willing to come forward, to stand, be counted and at least symbolically become the king of open space?


Deseret News editorial writer John Robinson can be reached by e-mail at

jrob@desnews.com

Join the Conversation
Looking for comments?
Find comments in their new home! Click the buttons at the top or within the article to view them — or use the button below for quick access.