Help shape the international future of National Park Cities

Guerrilla Geographer Daniel Raven-Ellison FRSA, founder of the campaign to make London the world’s first National Park City, is inviting RSA Fellows to help shape the future of this new movement.

This July, after years of campaigning, London is going to become the world’s first National Park City.

A place, a vision and a movement, it’s an opportunity to improve life in London by making the city greener, healthier and wilder. In part it’s about celebrating everything that has already been done to make London so green and diverse, but just like rural national parks, it’s also about working together to make life better for people and wildlife.

Becoming a National Park City is not an award, it is the beginning of a journey and a large-scale and long-term challenge to improve life through everyday actions and strategic policy. Working with residents, visitors and partners, the London National Park City will encourage and support people to:

• Enjoy London’s great outdoors more
• Make the city greener, healthier and wilder
• Promote London’s identity as a National Park City

Where next?

Inspired by London becoming a National Park City, people around the world are asking if their city can also be a National Park City, and if so, what it would mean.

In response to this, the National Park City Foundation, World Urban Parks and Salzburg Global Seminar are working with partners to create a Universal Charter for National Park Cities.

Building on the work that we’ve already done in London, the Universal Charter will set out a shared vision and definition and a set of values, principles, goals and characteristics of National Park Cities. These will make clear what is needed to begin the journey to become and be a National Park City. Some elements will be set in stone; other will be flexible and adaptable so that people can adapt it to their own lives, places and cities.

The Universal Charter will inspire people as individuals, as part of the community groups and involved with larger organisations, to take actions that improve life in cities. It will be designed so that anyone, may they be 8 or 80, can see how they can act and be involved.

Respond to the consultation

Following initial meetings in London and Adelaide, we are now consulting on the contents of the first draft Universal Charter. This is a unique opportunity to shape the future of National Park Cities and we are very keen to hear from people who are living and working in different cities from around the world.

You can respond as an individual or on behalf of an organisation or group.

The nature of the subject and consultation lends itself to a workshop, and we would be very pleased to hear from people who would be interested in organising a consultation event in their city. This could be a public event, as part of a class in a college or university or within a work setting. The consultation runs through to the end of April.

Find out more and respond to the consultation at https://www.nationalparkcity.org.

Daniel Raven-Ellison FRSA, founder of the campaign to make London the world’s first National Park City.