Better parks and more greenery

Did you know that London is one of the greenest cities in Europe? 

London’s green and open spaces include local parks and playing fields, but also farms, nature reserves, allotments and cemeteries.  

Londoners use these spaces to relax and socialise. Green spaces are also home to many plant and animal species and play an important environmental role. They help absorb rainwater and can provide cooler spaces in hot weather. This helps protect the city from flooding, storms and heatwaves, which are becoming more common as the climate changes.

Green and open spaces are valuable, but there's limited space to create large green spaces like new parks. However, it is possible to consider what we use our green spaces for and where and how we could add greenery to our streets and buildings. 

What Londoners told us so far

City Hall’s planning team spent two evenings exploring various challenges with 40 Londoners who were representative of the city’s diversity. The group explored various topics including the role of green spaces in London and how they are used for different purposes. 

• ‘Bigger spaces are important particularly in the summer with all the festivals and community events, carnivals, fairs, concerts…’
• ‘Lots of hard surfaces absorb a lot of heat… more green spaces can absorb some of the heat, London is many more degrees warmer than elsewhere’
• ‘It’s imperative to keep the nature reserves, water and woodland. We need to protect and encourage wildlife; in London they are where you can go and teach your little ones’
• ‘I think golf courses should be made into multipurpose places as opposed to being available for the select few. They need to be accessible for other local users’
• ‘The thing about greenery is that it absorbs a lot of the pollution and the rainwater. So, I think it would be good to have it on the side of the road.’

Join the conversation

Thinking about green spaces in London, tell us what’s important to you and what you might change if you could.

• How do you use the green spaces near where you live?
• How important do you think green space and greener streets are for protecting neighbourhoods from storms, flooding and heatwaves? 
• Are there any types of green space you’d like to see more or less of in London?
• Would you like to see more space for plants and greenery on your local streets? If so, what would you give up to make room for them?