MetroFuture will help the region retain more of its special open spaces and traditional New England landscapes – forests and farms alternating with compact development. Only 20% of all single-family homes would be built in large lot (>1/2 acre) subdivisions, which currently account for the vast majority of open space loss. Another 33% would use open space or conservation designs that cluster homes while preserving much of the land as open space. The remaining single-family homes (47% of the total) would be on small (1/4 acre) lots clustered near developed areas. Only 8,800 acres of open space would be developed for commercial and industrial uses. If Current Trends continue, the region would lose 140,000 acres of open space to a checkerboard of large-lot subdivisions (119,000 single-family homes on a half-acre or more). An additional 12,000 acres would be lost to commercial and industrial development. Among the lost would be 17,000 acres of farmland, 30,000 acres of prime agricultural soils, and 58,000 acres of habitat for rare and endangered species.

Objectives:

• No more than 37,000 acres of undeveloped natural land will be lost to development by 2030.
• There will be no net loss of the region’s agri- cultural land (117,000 acres.)
• 66% of single-family housing on nominal lots • of 1/2 acre or more in suburbs will use open space or conservation subdivision designs.