A new report ‘Making Up Ground: the role of green infrastructure in urban regeneration’, published by charity Groundwork, calls for nature to be at the heart of plans to grow the economy and regenerate ‘left behind’ areas.
The report argues that opportunities are being missed to deliver levelling up goals by investing in green infrastructure – parks, greenspaces and urban nature.
Our analysis found that:
- Less than 5% of funding for regeneration through the government’s Levelling Up initiatives has been used to support green infrastructure
- Less than a quarter of funding distributed to local authority areas through the Levelling Up Fund has gone to the half of areas with the worst access to green space, suggesting it is not reaching places where investment in green infrastructure is most needed
The report highlights the wealth of evidence showing that investment in nature improves the quality of life for local people as well as the environment. The benefits of investing in green infrastructure include:
- Boosting the economy through the creation of green jobs and increased footfall in and around green spaces, bringing additional revenue for local businesses and creating more attractive settings for investment.
- Tackling climate change and protecting the environment with green infrastructure helping to mitigate the impact of extreme weather events, which are likely to become an increased risk and cost for homeowners and businesses.
- Improved health and wellbeing, both physical and mental, through regular access to the outdoors and through the reduction of air pollution.
- Bringing communities and people together with community activities in shared green spaces promoting social cohesion and volunteering.
Read the full report here
More on:
Posted On: 18/10/2022