There has been some encouraging news for public parks in the nation's capital recently - which if events turn out as proposed, should also mean great news for the turf professionals whose job it'll be to maintain these spaces.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan launched plans to turn the city into the world’s first National Park City a couple of weeks ago. He's proposing to make London one greenest cities on Earth. Part of the scheme includes the creation of a £9 million fund to increase the cities’ trees and green infrastructure, and a proposal to build more green roofs, walls, and rain gardens.
All of these developments will need looking after by skilled professionals, so this has to be great news for jobs the industry.
The initiatives are all part of the Mayor’s draft Environment Strategy, which aims to tackle pollution, promote renewable and cleaner energy, and make more than 50% of London green by 2050.
Already home to more than 8 million trees, numerous parks and gardens, and increasing numbers of green roofs and walls, London is already relatively green, but Sadiq Khan wants to expand that level dramatically.
“London is home to outstanding green spaces that I want to protect, invest in and improve as we aim to become the world’s first National Park City,” Sadiq Khan said.
“We can also increase the amount of greenery in the city by installing many more green roofs and making our streets greener. From our famous Royal Parks, to our much-loved community gardens and urban nature reserves like Woodberry Wetlands, this ‘green infrastructure’ is a vital asset that improves air quality, boosts quality of life, conserves wildlife and attracts thousands of visitors.
“I’ve set out my plans to improve London’s environment by fighting pollution, tackling waste and promoting cleaner energy so we can make London a healthier city that adapts to the impacts of climate change."
Given that this is the world’s first attempt at making a National Park City, the Mayor has said he'll seek to work with partners across London to set out criteria for exactly what a National Park City will look like, including:
- Protecting and increasing the amount of green space in the capital
- Increasing access to green spaces for Londoners of all ages, particularly in areas where there is currently a deficiency
- Increasing the quality of green spaces, ensuring they are well maintained and create healthy habitats for wildlife
- Valuing London green spaces, accounting for the health, environmental, social and economic benefits it brings to London.
Additionally, this is all gearing up towards launching London as a National Park City at an international summit in Spring of 2019, which is based on several key proposals that are aimed at helping the city reach this target date:
- Creating a ‘Challenge Map’ to highlight areas of London that should be priorities for green infrastructure investment as part of the Mayor’s target to make more than 50% of London green by 2050
- Setting up a Green Spaces Commission to work with environmental experts to help boroughs attract investment, and transform and preserve their parks and green spaces
- Developing a new ‘Urban Greening Factor’ to ensure that green roofs, green walls — walls which are covered in plants and grass often by busy road sides and help lower pollution, trees and rain gardens are incorporated into new developments in London. The Mayor will also use his planning powers to protect the Green Belt and Metropolitan Open Land
- Targeting ‘grey’ areas to make them greener. With more Londoners living in flats and working in high rise offices, and with fewer people having access to private gardens, the Mayor wants to ensure more streets and public spaces become greener to improve health and encourage more walking and cycling.
Sadiq Kahn has said, "I want to hear your views and ideas about how we can make London the greenest city in the world.”
This comment from the Mayor seems like an excellent opportunity for turf professionals and other industry experts to get involved and potentially have a hand in the scheme's development. An
official website is now live which has an '
Engagement Consultation' section which is looking for feedback to influence the organisers' thinking.
It's important that the voices of the specialists who'll be maintaining these areas get heard in the early stages of planning. Turf professionals will know what the logistics required to look after these ambitious plans will be - so now is the opportunity make sure your voice gets heard.
