London is a busy, polluted city. The capital is facing many challenges in the 21st century, with air pollution, growing childhood obesity, poor adult mental and physical health and a lack of cohesion in communities. And yet there are real grounds for hope. Away from the centre, London becomes a rich tapestry of gardens, rivers, parks, woodland, nature reserves, canals, fields, allotments, streams and lakes. These green and blue parts of the city can be increased and made even more wild and diverse than parts of our countryside. And because they are inside a city, they are more accessible to the public. Mayor Sadiq Khan has worked with the National Park City Foundation and other partners to revitalise the city’s relationship with its natural environment.
MEETING THE criteria
But what does ‘National Park City’ mean exactly? There are established criteria for an area to become a National Park. To begin with, the landscape has to be an ‘extensive tract of country’. National Park status can be awarded because of the area’s natural beauty and the opportunities for open-air recreation. Things like wildlife, cultural heritage and opportunities for the public to enjoy the area’s special qualities are also taken into consideration.
A MAJOR habitat
Although London ticks many of those boxes, it cannot be considered an ‘extensive tract of country’. However, it is an incredibly important habitat that is full of potential. So the idea has been to take inspiration from existing parks and transform the capital into a new form of National Park that combines urban and natural landscapes.
URBAN NATURE
The main aims is to connect people to nature and the outdoors, improving health, well-being and social cohesion. More green and blue spaces have to be created in urban areas, so as to improve conditions both for people and wildlife and provide an attractive and sustainable environment for visiting, living and working in.
THE GREEN FIGHT
Making London the world’s first National Park City would bring huge benefits. It is estimated that London’s 8.3 million trees already provide air filtration services that are worth around £95 million annually. Air pollution causes many different types of damage and costs the UK economy £20 billion a year, so the real saving could be far greater. Planting more trees and creating more green spaces would not only increase those savings, it would also reduce flood risk and enhance biodiversity.
BREATHE BETTER
Some experts claim that connecting people to nature could have a bigger benefit than almost any other intervention in public health. There is even a strong belief that when London becomes a National Park City, it will boost the economy, attracting more visitors and businesses of all kinds. Perhaps the greatest benefits of all will be seen in decades from now, when Londoners will have clean air to breathe, clean lakes and rivers to swim in and a wealth of healthy outdoor activities to take part in.
NOW LET’S REVIEW THE VOCABULARY!- “Do you live here?” is one way of asking if someone is local.
- You can say ‘around here somewhere’ instead of ‘nearby’.
- When giving directions, you can use ‘turn right’, ‘turn left’ or ‘go straight on’/ go straight ahead’.
- ’Facing you’ or ‘ahead of you’ are other ways of saying ’in front of you’.
- Rowing or pedal boats are propelled using oars or foot-powered pedals.
- When the woman says ‘worth a visit’, she means that she would recommend they go there.
- A children’s ‘playground’ has slides, swings, climbing frames and other recreational equipment.
- When making general enquiries, you can use opening phrases like “Can you tell me if…?” or “Do you know if…?”.
- ‘(It’s) better to’ is a good way of recommending another course of action.
- 'Spot' has many different meanings. Here, it means a place.
- “It’s a lovely day for it” is a typical way of saying that the weather is good for that particular activity.
- ‘Sundown’ is when the sun sets and it grows dark.
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