Useful Links
Set up in 2003 by ODPM, (now Department for Communities and Local Government) CABE Space aims to bring excellence to the design, management and maintenance of parks and public space. Their web site includes publications on green space strategies and park management plans.
The Civic Trust promotes progressive improvements in the quality of urban life for communities throughout the United Kingdom. It is Britain's leading charity devoted to enhancing the quality of life in Britain's cities, towns and villages: the places where people live, work, shop and relax.
The Civic Trust also manages the Green Flag Award, the national standard for parks and green spaces in England and Wales. The award scheme began in 1996 as a means of recognising and rewarding the best green spaces in the country. For more information see Green Flag Awards. The Green Heritage Site part of the Green Flag Award is sponsored by English Heritage and promotes the value of, and best practice in, the care and upkeep of parks and green spaces in England that are of local or national historic interest.
GreenSpace is a registered charity which works to improve parks and green spaces by raising awareness, involving communities and creating skilled professionals. English Heritage and partners commissioned GreenSpace - formerly the Urban Parks Forum - to undertake the Public Park Assessment report published in 2001. This report and other publications like Your Parks (also sponsored by English Heritage) are available on the GreenSpace web site.
GreenSpace now has a national network of its own or affiliated regional fora that focus on promoting the sustainable planning, design, management and improvement of parks and green spaces at a local and regional level. For information about your regional forum see www.green-space.org.uk/regions/index.php
London Parks and Gardens Trust
The London Parks and Gardens Trust works to promote and enhance the capital's green open spaces. In addition to running the Open Garden Squares Weekend, the trust leads walks in London's green spaces, organises lectures, conferences and study days, produces an academic journal (The London Gardener) and a newsletter (London Landscapes), has created, and maintains, an inventory of over 2,200 London historical green spaces, educates young students about parks through a web-based learning tool, and monitors planning applications for their impact on parks. For information about other county gardens trusts see Association Of Gardens Trusts
Department for Communities and Local Government
and Cleaner Safer Greener Communities
The Government's vision is for cleaner, safer, greener communities. The key documents like Sustainable communities: building for the future, Living Places- Cleaner, Safer, Greener and the Urban Green Space Taskforce reports can be found under Department of Communities and Local Government Urban Policy section. Planning Policy Guidance PPG 17 Open Space, Sport and Recreation is under Planning. Cleaner Safer Greener Communities provides information on working in partnership, powers and tools, and innovative approaches and good practice.
English Heritage works closely with the Heritage Lottery Fund on its Public Parks Initiative and Townscape scheme. The HLF funded over £510 million to more than 1,600 projects for countryside, parks and gardens. Information on their grants and publications is available on their web site.
Email this to a friend