Norwich 19th out of 68 for green spaces and trees
Norwich has been ranked 19th out of a list of 68 UK city centres surveyed for their green spaces and tree cover. (1)
Academics from the Department of Landscape Architecture at Sheffield University measured and compared the green attributes of city centres in cities of over 100,000 population.
They ranked Exeter in Devon as the greenest city centre for accessible urban green space, for example public parks and gardens, churchyards, playing fields and bowling greens, and tree cover. Glasgow was named as the least green.
Norwich is ranked number 19 for its ‘greeness’ and tree cover. Norwich’s main green spaces in the city centre fall into the categories of religious grounds (13 in number) and public parks or gardens (six in number). (2)
The authors conclude that boosting biodiversity and access to green open spaces in cities could play a vital role in reducing health inequalities. (3)
They add that the study provides a baseline which will encourage local authorities to create new green spaces in cities.
Cllr Denise Carlo, Green Party councillor for Nelson ward, said:
“Improving Norwich’s ranking on access to green space and tree cover would bring many health benefits to residents and visitors as well as increasing biodiversity. One important opportunity for greening the city centre is the brownfield site at Anglia Square. Norwich planners should seek the inclusion of green public open space, which is absent from the current planning application submitted by Weston Homes, for a part of the city with high levels of deprivation, coupled with a more ambitious green landscaping scheme.” (4) (5)
Notes:
- https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2022/nov/24/study-reveals-britains-greenest-cities-and-they-are-all-in-the-south
- https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0276962
- Table listing urban centres and their greenspaces as defined by the OS Greenspace
file:///C:/Users/Denise/Downloads/journal.pone.0276962.s002%20(1).pdf (Fig. 3)
(see conclusion)
- Map showing Index of Multiple Deprivation in Norwich (2019) https://research.mysociety.org/sites/imd2019/area/la-norwich-borough-council/lsoa/