Minimum Area Requires for Garden Space

The Open Space credit does not specify a minimum amount of space dedicated to growing food. A garden space dedicated to community gardens or urban food production is just one of the options for physically accessible outdoor space that may qualify as open space. However, you might want to cross reference the Local Food Production Pilot which does specify a minimum size requirement (based on each project type).

Dear Dean,

For the SS3 Open Space requirement, we can choose one or more of the following outdoor space types that must be physically accessible :

• a pedestrian-oriented paving or turf area with physical site elements that accommodate outdoor social activities;
• a recreation-oriented paving or turf area with physical site elements that encourage physical activity;
• a garden space with a diversity of vegetation types and species that provide opportunities for year-round visual interest;
• a garden space dedicated to community gardens or urban food production;
• preserved or created habitat that meets the criteria of SS Credit Site Development—Protect or Restore Habitat and also includes elements of human interaction.

The outdoor space area requirement shall be greater than or equal to 30% of the total site area (including building footprint) and minimum of 25% of that outdoor space must be vegetated (turf grass does not count as vegetation) or have overhead vegetated canopy.

Therefore, if you only choose the garden space dedicated to community gardens or urban food production for outdoor area, then you need to provide the area at least 30% of the total site but minimum 25% of outdoor space must be vegetated or have overhead vegetated canopy.

But, if you combine the garden space dedicated to community gardens or urban food production with others qualified outdoor space types, then you can adjust the area of the chosen outdoor area types according to your site condition and characteristic as long as the total outdoor space areas and the vegetated areas requirement are achieved.

Thanks and regards.