Public parks offer value that privately developed spaces can’t match | Letter

Council budgets have fallen and there is no national strategy for green spaces, despite the huge benefits they offer, writes Ed StannardRhiannon Lucy Cosslett is right to draw attention to the need for inclusive, better-designed public spaces (Locked playgrounds, broken paddling pools: it’s a heatwave, but where will our children play? 28 June). We, and the green-space owners and managers we work with, had also hoped that the renewed enthusiasm for public space during the pandemic would lead to lasting investment.Green-space managers would gladly deliver more parks that “integrate children’s play with adult socialising”, but to do this they need funding – not just to develop these spaces but, critically, to maintain their quality long-term. In London, local authority parks budgets have fallen by approximately 8% since 2008, while the capital’s population has grown by more than 15% – that means more than a million more people needing access to quality green space. With the challenges parks are facing from our changing climate, ever-increasing costs, and pressures to generate revenue for vital services, it is testament to those managing our public green spaces that they still manage to deliver so many internationally respected and innovative parks. Continue reading...

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