Public open space

Public open space is often referred to by urban planners and landscape architects by the acronym 'POS'. Varied interpretations of the term are possible.

'Public' can mean:

• owned by a national or local government body
• owned by 'public' body (e.g. a not-for-profit organization) and held in trust for the public
• owned by a private individual or organization but made available for public use or available public access, see privately owned public space (POPS)

'Open' can mean:

• open for public access
• open for public recreation
• outdoors, i.e. not a space within a building
• vegetated

Depending on which of these definitions are adopted, any of the following could be called Public Open Space:^[1]

• a public park
• a town square
• a greenway which is open to the public but runs through farmland or a forest
• a public highway
• a private road with public access

• Environmental good
• Landscape architecture
• Landscape planning
• Public good
• Public space