Currently, about 25% of Charlestown's total land area is developed, while some 29% is either protected open space or subject to constrained development. Another 29% of the land that is zoned for development and could be built upon. These percentages are rough calculations from more precise numbers calculated in a Brown University Study on planning for the town's growth in the future. The technical term for this demonstration is buildout. Read a detailed study on the development plans in Charlestown, including a buildout analysis.

The map to the right roughly depicts the presently forested or natural lands which if development continued unhindered would be consumed by houses, roads, and parking lots. Not only would this encroachment of development scar the rural character of the town, but it could also have serious impact on the quality of the town's drinking water, and natural resources. Charlestown has taken responsible first steps to evaluating the fate of its development and is currently in the process of prioritizing new parcels of open space for acquisition.