Bringing people, urban nature and planning together in England : a review

Abstract

The history of accessible greenspaces in English towns and cities is outlined. The genesis of the first statutory nature conservation organisation in the UK and its historical link with local authority planners is described. The idea behind this link was to ensure that sites important for nature conservation were protected from development. In the late 1970s, the first systematic surveys of urban areas began and the data used to inform strategic and development planning. By the early 1980s the Urban Wildlife Groups which had arisen, generated new levels of political support and direct action by local people. Emphasis on the human part of the equation meant that site provision and evaluation had to involve additional criteria to those which looked solely at the natural history values. The statutory nature conservation organisation, English Nature, has sought to clarify some of the key factors these new approaches raised. Links to current global initiatives are outlined and future directions suggested.