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How the smallest green space can help our planet
11/06/2020
We hear a lot about green space and urban corridors these days. You’d be forgiven for assuming it only concerns large parks and woodlands. Granted, they’re important green space examples, but so is that small meadow on your housing estate, or the verge down by the canal towpath.
Large and small, it’s all green space, and it helps our planet in ways that concern you.
Why it matters
Green space is commonly described as an area of grass, trees, or other vegetation set apart for recreational or aesthetic purposes in an otherwise urban environment.
That sounds nice, but the motive is much more than creating attractive landscapes. With temperatures on the rise and weather becoming more extreme, climate change is a huge issue. You might feel it’s too big an issue to make a difference, but you’d be wrong as we’ll explain.
Climate change aside, green spaces offer social benefits too, not to mention economic ones.
Let’s consider these three areas a little more.
Green space fights climate change
A long time ago, our land was covered in dense forests, with incredibly rich biodiversity. Fast forward to 2020 and our own actions have changed the situation dramatically.
Dangerously high carbon emissions, air and noise pollution, rising temperatures. Just three challenges that the developed world now faces.
The smallest pocket of green space can help to reverse this in some way. For example, soil and trees help to reduce carbon emissions by absorbing carbon from the air. This in turn, creates cleaner air to breathe in the locality.
Urban green areas can soak up rainwater that may otherwise cause flooding, plus wetlands can store excess water safely. Trees can shade buildings, keeping them cooler and reducing energy consumption.
There’s still more to it, from an environmental point of view. Green spaces create habitats that encourage wildlife including wildflowers, insects, and small mammals. And wildlife enhances biodiversity.
Biodiversity has a direct impact on our everyday lives. From food production to water supplies, medicine production to tourism. Our future depends on the best possible biodiversity.
Read our blog: What is biodiversity (and why it enhances your site)?
The social benefits of green space
It’s proven time and again that green space helps to improve our well-being. Today, mental health is a prominent issue and society needs to work together to make things better, where it can.
The transformation of a small pocket of unused urban land into a miniature nature reserve provides untold benefits for the local community. It can lift morale and create a calming place in an otherwise busy life.
Furthermore, urban pockets like this help to teach younger generations about the importance of biodiversity and sustainability. Their own future will be shaped by their understanding and prioritisation of these matters.
It’s even been documented that urban crime has reduced in areas that favour small green spaces amongst housing development.
Green space makes financial sense
Whilst the environmental and social benefits of green space are enough for most, understanding the economic benefits completes the compelling case to develop more green space, however small.
New housing developments that offer ample green space tend to command a stronger sale price or sell more easily. Cities rich in green space, that helps to clean the air and reduce noise pollution, attract more tourism (Reykjavik in Iceland is an example of this).
To factually illustrate the point, a 2018 report by The Land Trust on the economic value of green spaces considers Port Sunlight River Park in Merseyside. The park was opened in 2014, transforming a closed landfill site into a 28-hectare community space featuring wetlands, meadows, and walkways. Here are some local financial benefits from the park (as reported in 2018):
- £7.8 million has been added to the value of houses within a 500-metre radius of the park – an average of £8,674 per property
- £48,000 annual revenue has been generated for the small businesses that operate in the park, such as dog walkers and ice cream vendors
- £38,000 a year additional revenue is generated for other local businesses, where people have spent money while visiting the park
However you choose to look at it, green space, however small, has a positive impact on our planet, our society, and our future. We choose to ignore this fact at our peril.
Betts Estates, sustainably designs, develops and manages green space for major PLC housing developers and landowners. We enhance your site’s biodiversity to the benefit of your business, the residents, and the planet.
Further reading on green space benefits:
