Our blog page includes opinions from a wide range of people with an interest in parks policy.
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Levelling Up Places – why parks are one of the smartest investments for infrastructure spending
The government has said it aims to level up the UK economy, boosting regional economic growth in the midlands and north, by investing £100 billion in infrastructure to improve the well-being of people living in poorer areas and narrow the productivity gap between England’s regions. £22 billion has been allocated to the biggest ever pothole-filling..Read More
2019 Election – Can’t see the wood for the trees? What the manifestos mean for parks.
Parks don’t feature that much in the parties’ manifestos. There is a picture of two people in a park in the Tory manifesto and a pollinating bee in Labour’s. If the election was based on this measure the Lib Dems would walk it – they have a picture of Leader Jo Swinson actually in a..Read More
A ‘Think Piece’ on The Future of Public Parks
By Dr Anna Barker of the University of Leeds. My brief was to give a short ‘think piece’ on the future of public parks, reflecting on the contemporary challenges facing the parks sector and the findings of historically-informed research that my colleagues and I at the University of Leeds have undertaken. This research has involved two..Read More
Crowdfund your park – turn ideas into reality
By Tom Shakhli at Spacehive. Parks are the realm of the possible; places to escape, dream, and play in a way unimaginable on the other side of the railings. Many of the parks we enjoy today were borne out of the Victorian era, where the fruits of the industrial revolution gave rise to increased availability..Read More
Why we need to make everyday urban nature amazing!
Dr Nicola Dempsey and Dr Julian Dobson. We have long known that urban nature is good for our mental health, and the evidence continues to grow. Against a backdrop of the need to protect natural spaces in our cities and the crisis in mental health, the Department of Landscape Architecture at the University of Sheffield..Read More
Is “emotional ownership” the key to community engagement? Some lessons from here and across the pond.
In 2016, Reimagining the Civic Commons launched a $40 million investment into public spaces across five US cities (Akron, Chicago, Detroit, Memphis, and Philadelphia), with the aim to foster greater civic engagement, promote economic development and enhance environmental sustainability. With the 3-year grant period drawing to an end, a selection of reports have revealed that..Read More
Small is beautiful – the rise and rise of pocket parks
Last week the Rishi Sunak MP, Minister for Parks & Green Spaces, visited St Johns Church Yard on the South Bank in London. St Johns, which would count as a pocket park, has been actively supported by Friends of St John’s Churchyard over the years working with local partners and funders to provide not only a..Read More
A Place for Parks?
The increasing focus on the UK’s ‘left behind places’ means place based policy is back in vogue – and parks have a key role to play James Brokenshire has actually made two announcements about Parks recently. At the weekend he announced an additional £13m for a range of parks initiatives in the Daily Mail. However..Read More