{"id":35975,"date":"2024-02-09t15:13:11","date_gmt":"2024-02-09t15:13:11","guid":{"rendered":"\/\/www.getitdoneaz.com\/?p=35975"},"modified":"2024-02-12t14:40:34","modified_gmt":"2024-02-12t14:40:34","slug":"reimagining-london","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"\/\/www.getitdoneaz.com\/story\/reimagining-london\/","title":{"rendered":"essay | reimagining london’s cityscape"},"content":{"rendered":"
as if knowing of its rapturous admirers, the short-eared owl<\/a> circled the cricket playing field before disappearing out of sight. if i had been told a few years earlier about the possibility of seeing such a creature amongst the cityscape of london, i would not have believed it. over the last three years, i have become more in tune with the natural world around me. this process occurred because of my growing adoption of birdwatching to unwind and manage my anxiety. the owl, like many birds i had seen in the park, was a culmination of my journey so far \u2013 the connections i had formed between my local urban spaces and the natural places within them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n sunrise over london taken on hampstead heath. (keir chauhan)<\/p>\n\n\n\n before i became interested in birds, i had to escape the conception that nature could not exist within a cityscape. i had to embrace the agency of my city, london, as a place of special importance to wildlife and people. i needed to learn how the built environment provided homes and havens for breeding and migratory birds. most of all, i had to alter the way i saw the city\u2019s green spaces. i had to realize that london\u2019s individual environmental places \u2014 remnants of the ancient forest of middlesex \u2014 when assembled, form an altogether wilder, healthier, and greener picture of london.<\/p>\n\n\n\n for londoners like navita atreya, \u201cgreen space allows (her) to reset and think about things differently\u201d and \u201cto breathe more slowly and deeply\u201d so that she can escape from a \u201cturbulent world\u201d. atreya’s experience is illustrative of the power of embracing green spaces for londoners\u2019 health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n the national park city movement works to make greener, wilder, and healthier cities. london was the first national park city<\/a> to be formally recognized under the national park city charter. my first encounter with the london national park city concept thrilled me because it encourages inclusive and equitable access to the natural environment for all londoners. it allowed me to consider how some of my favorite places to walk might add up to something bigger than their constituent parts. they could become part of a city that embraces its green spaces and the importance of the human as part of the ecosystem. <\/p>\n\n\n\n the national park city movement joins together different community groups working on the environment. my own experience of being a london national park city ranger has been useful in informing my understanding of the strength of such a concept. by linking birdwatchers and herbalists with campaigners and artists, the london national park city can embrace the diversity of london\u2019s people and places.<\/p>\n\n\n\n ferns growing on a bridge in hampstead heath. (keir chauhan)<\/p>\n\n\n\n the london national park city project has discussed and worked on improving the safety of city parks for women<\/a> as well as running the #dolondondifferently<\/a> campaign to highlight all that can be done in the city linked to green spaces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n ed santry, coordinator for the london national park city says the \u201cmovement is encouraging and supporting initiatives that address\u201d environmental justice issues. santry highlighted the \u201cdisparity between green spaces and house prices\u201d in london. the link between access to green spaces and higher house prices systematically excludes those who are most vulnerable from accessing natural spaces. by tackling the \u201cdisassociation\u201d between people and green spaces, the london national park city hopes to improve cultural cohesion throughout london, according to santry. this includes tackling food insecurity through \u201cworking with food banks\u201d to distribute locally grown food from allotments (community gardens) and working directly with communities to get the benefits \u201cof green spaces for everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nlondon<\/h2>\n\n\n
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the national park city movement<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
london national park city <\/h2>\n\n\n
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