On July 22th, 2019 London was officially the world’s first #NationalParkCity. You are probably asking yourself – but how do you become a National Park City? Like London, Amsterdam also has a green and blue map called #UrbanNatureAmsterdam. It is designed to explore the nature in the city. The makers want to start a conversation. Pakhuis de Zwijger from Amsterdam organized an evening about an urban vision for a better, greener and healthier future of the cities and we share below some interesting lines from the event description. This can be very useful for Brussels as well and we hope that similar events and initiatives will be organized in our city.

A green and blue city holds many advantages, such as a positive effect on people’s health, ensuring a rich biodiversity and improving the environment and thus contributing to the quality of life in a neighbourhood. But it also helps reduce air pollution, increase water storage, dampen noise and cool down warmer periods. It is essential for a climate-proof and a sustainable environment. In other ways, it also contributes to the financial wealth of a city, as companies like to settle in a green environment and real estate is generally more in demand, which strengthens the economic growth of a city.

For example, Amsterdam has strong ambitions to not only facilitate more housing, but also ensure that the people in this city don’t need to give up on their green square metres. What are the green ambitions of the city of Amsterdam? And is there enough space for green as every square meter is needed for housing and dwelling?

#UrbanNatureAmsterdam

On July 11th, Pakhuis de Zwijger will launch #UrbanNatureAmsterdam—the city’s first green and blue map designed to explore the urban nature that starts at your doorstep. This unique map aims to kickoff the conversation surrounding the green ambitions of several cities. Participants will discuss three inspiring cases across three scales including the international #NationalParkCity Foundation, the national Forestry Service (Staatsbosbeheer) ‘Green Metropolis’ program, and the City of Breda’s local ambition to become the first ‘City in a Park’.

Read more – an article on CNN

How will London become the world’s first National Park City? With its traffic-clogged streets and polluted air it may seem like an unlikely choice, but the bustling metropolis of London is set to become the world’s first National Park City. But the UK capital won’t be swapping its skyscrapers for forests. Instead, the National Park City status aims to change how people think about green spaces in urban areas. It’s the brainchild of former geography teacher Daniel Raven-Ellison. He hopes that re-imagining London as an urban national park will encourage people to conserve the natural environment and help make it greener. Read more…