From improving public health to reducing the impact of climate change, nature offers solutions to many urban challenges, according to our expert panel. Find out how.
As part of our “Making the Most of…” series, Future of London brought together researchers, practitioners, and policy-makers to explore why cities are turning to nature-based solutions.
At Kew Gardens, they discussed the need for collaboration between developers, scientists and local authorities. Supporting natural ecosystems requires scientific precision so developers must integrate academic knowledge into new projects.
“We need to think carefully about maintaining our urban forest environment now and into the future,” said Dr Phil Stevenson, Head of Trait Diversity and Function at Kew. “It’s about planting the right trees, in the right place, at the right time
Ealing Council is doing just that by creating ten new parks, including a regional park to create a green corridor through the borough.
“It’s about making nature a political priority through leadership, setting clear targets and putting our money where our mouth is,” said Deirdre Costigan, formerly the Cabinet Member for Climate Action who has since been elected to parliament.
Winning public support for climate action
The panel agreed that improving access to nature can increase public awareness of the benefits, including the importance of tackling climate change. But it’s not straightforward because different people want different things from nature.
Dr Meri Juntti, Associate Professor of Environmental Governance at Middlesex University, explained: “Benefits don’t just flow from nature to people… they are realised through engagement.”
As 80% of Londoners don’t have access to private green space so they need local shared spaces that meet their needs, said Elizabeth Connelly, Senior Landscape Construction Manager at Peabody. She highlighted the fact that young people often feel unwelcome in public greenspaces.
Ultimately, we need to recalibrate our understanding of what nature in an urban environment looks like. Nature is at its healthiest when it can be messy and changing with the seasons.
Future of London believes that communities should be involved in creating strategies so residents are more invested in stewarding nature.
Thanks to Arup, Montagu Evans, Mount Anvil and Potter Raper for supporting the Making the Most of… what we’ve got events programme, which also looked at retrofit and public assets. Read all the event write-ups.