We all know that good parks, squares and streets make for a better quality of life. Well-designed and cared-for open spaces add to the character of places where people live, work and visit. They also provide an essential part of the green infrastructure that is enabling towns and cities to deal with floods and adapt to climate change.

The open space strategy offers local authorities a strategic framework for the planning and management of their public spaces. The CABE Space leaders programme offered one-to-one strategic advice to those looking to develop or improve their authority's open space strategy. CABE Space's enabling service supports local authorities in their strategic work on open spaces.

Now a new CABE Space guide offers local authorities practical guidance on how to prepare, deliver, monitor and review an open space strategy. Open space strategies: a best practice guide reflects the latest thinking on the role of open spaces in tackling climate change and improving quality of life.

It features best practice examples from around the country showing the value and practical benefits of a strategic approach to open space. It includes accounts of how:

• Thurrock's strategy links open space planning to green infrastructure
• Walsall's approach to open space helps deliver its wider corporate objectives
• Blackburn with Darwen meets a new local appetite for allotments
• Tower Hamlets is overcoming its chronic shortage of open space with creative solutions
• Bournemouth is linking its green space strategy to action on climate change
• Torbay's local development framework status is making a difference
• Darlington's strategy shows the local authority as a leading player in valuing open space.

Developed jointly with the Greater London Authority, Open space strategies also forms best practice guidance of the London Plan - but the report covers all English local authorities. The guide will be of use to local authority leaders and other councillors, chief executives, directors and heads of service in non-green space departments including education, finance, highways, planning, young people and regeneration.

Copies of Open space strategies: a best practice guide will be available to order in print or as a PDF from www.cabe.org.uk/publications, soon. A summary will also be available.