OSD may occur either in all zoning districts or only certain ones . OSD allows only as many lots on the parcel as a typical subdivision would. However, the lots may be smaller, leaving large open spaces. Overall, housing density remains the same. OSD may set a minimum of the parcel that must remain open space.
Driveways usually link to shared lanes that branch from the new main road.
Usually, no driveways link directly to that main road, or to existing county roads. OSD fits well with large lot sizes. A large lot forty-acre subdivision can break valuable farmland or wildlife habitat into unusable fragments. OSD may set minimum lot sizes smaller than the usual minimum for the zoning district. OSD also may allow a proportionately smaller road frontage for open space lots.