Open space, whether rural or in town, provides people with physical, mental and emotional refreshment. The town center is uniquely surrounded by the wooded banks of the Connecticut River to the west and by forested hillsides and ridgelines to the north and east. Visible from dozens of locations in the downtown area, the backdrop of Hanover's forested hills is highly prized by the many people who live, work in, and visit the town. Small open spaces found between commercial and institutional buildings or in residential areas are also highly valued. Additions to in-town open spaces would strengthen the already established pattern of village-scale combinations of development and open areas. In-town open spaces thus tend to fall into three types: 1.) the forested backdrop, 2.) smaller local parks and open spaces, and 3.) connections.