Featured in Lippy Magazine's SS22 print: The Bloom Issue.
Image Credit: Anna-Karina Yuill
See a copy of the magazine feature here. Read in text below this:
Creating Green Space in an Urban Bloom
Whether you’re sipping drinks in the park with friends, walking the dog, having a picnic, or getting your daily exercise, green space has come to be more appreciated and necessary than ever.
During lockdown, with many of us unable to socialise, green space was a saviour. Thinking back to early COVID-19 days, the park was often the only place we were allowed to see people, signifying an inkling of freedom and normalcy in an otherwise uncertain, scary and confusing world.
In recent decades, our lives have undoubtedly become more urbanised, with a reported 82.9% of England's population living in cities in 2019. But with this comes the yearning for the space and time in nature that past generations would have taken for granted. During lockdown, where many worked from home, a break from the commuter lifestyle has been a sigh of relief. This sentiment was echoed by Gen Z over lockdown with the cottagecore trend – a longing for moving out to the countryside, living in a little cottage and baking bread; an idealised utopia that is a stark contrast with current urban realities.
These fantasies about the joy and beauty of natural space are by no means hollow. In fact, a study published in 2019 by Scientific Reports indicated that spending at least 120 minutes a week in nature is associated with good health and wellbeing, and can play a key role in combatting mental health issues. This isn’t something new either; for centuries, humans have understood the role that nature can play in our health, for example, those suffering from Tuberculosis were often prescribed time in nature. Green spaces, apart from helping mental and physical health, also help prevent flooding, absorb carbon and pollution, promote natural biodiversity and cool the air.
Thankfully, certain governments and councils have recognised this vital need for green space, and consequently, urban greening initiatives have been popping up all over the Global North. From green roofs on buildings, to wildflower gardens, tree protection schemes, living walls and parks, rewilding is a necessary change that is crucial for the future.
However, nature is becoming a privilege that only few can afford. Where once easily accessible, finding time and possibility for the benefits of nature is harder than ever. Green initiatives can facilitate gentrification, meaning the areas around these new green spaces suddenly increase in value, moving poorer communities out. With the ill effects of increased urbanisation hitting hardest those already at risk, environmental gentrification is just another form of climate injustice. This also is not something new. Redlining in American towns has historically meant a lack of trees on pavements in non-white community areas, causing scorching summers and colder winters. What’s more, 99% of the world's population live in places where air quality levels exceed WHO’s limits. This contributes to the estimated 4.2 million premature deaths per year attributed to air pollution.
Moreover, some green initiatives in the capital, such as London’s Garden Bridge and the £8 million Marble Arch Mound hill, were scrapped and unsuccessful. They also beg the question on whether they can really be considered green or whether they are just another form of greenwashing. Can putting up a wildflower garden really be considered adequate when a city is yet to have a sustainable, effective recycling system? It should also be noted that some green spaces require a lot of upkeep, often at the expense of the natural resources surrounding them. For example, Tourism Concern calculates that an average golf course in a tropical country needs 1,500kg of chemical fertilisers, pesticides and herbicides per year and uses as much water as 60,000 rural villagers, making it an unsustainable, extremely polluting industry.
However, there is hope. One campaign, ‘Nature is a Human Right’, is fighting to create environmental equality in a world where many lack access to nature. They plead that ‘the UN must recognise the fundamental role nature plays in human lives and designate access to natural spaces as a human right’. As our green space is simultaneously threatened, commodified and eroded, we need to fight for green energy, sustainability and equal access, so that its social, health, community, mental and environmental benefits can inspire future generations to thrive and prosper in a natural world.
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