Introduction

Parks and green spaces have long featured prominently in city design and planning. Although once valued as a ‘rejuvenative antidote to the city itself ‘ (Pincetl and Gearin, 2005: 366), today green space is recognized as integral to the ecological, social, and economic functioning of cities. As global urbanization continues and cities grow more dense, congested, and polluted, providing healthy, liveable urban environments has become increasingly important. As such, delivering sufficient green space is a key objective for cities worldwide.

The value of green space has been underscored during the COVID-19 pandemic, as these spaces were some of the few places people could safely go to during lockdowns. Visiting green spaces became essential for getting daily exercise and combating social isolation. But, the pandemic also has highlighted the unequal provision of green space across cities (see also Chapter Six, this volume). Thus, the need to not only increase the amount of green space, but to do so in a way that addresses existing disparities has emerged as an urgent policy priority. In this chapter, we use London as a case study to explore opportunities for greening and the health benefit it provides by thinking beyond typical approaches to green space planning.

Green space in London

Parks and green spaces are central to London's identity. The British capital recently became a ‘national park city’, and almost half of London is green (Greater London Authority (GLA), 2018a). Public parks consistently rank as one of the most popular services London's 33 local borough councils provide, and politicians from across the political spectrum support protection of the city's encircling Green Belt. In 2019, London's population reached an estimated 8.9 million, the largest in its history, and is projected to surpass 10.8 million by 2041 (GLA, 2021). Competing pressures on the use of space have significant ramifications for the demand on and ability to provide quality green spaces (GLA, 2021). Although the London Plan – the city's spatial development strategy – asserts that green spaces should be protected, it also acknowledges that London needs 66,000 new homes each year, for at least 20 years (GLA, 2021). Thus, to prevent urban sprawl, the London Plan calls for high-density development within urban centers, putting further stress on existing green spaces, many of which are reaching or are beyond their full capacity.