The National Park City movement started with a ‘What if?’ question, to reimagine London as a National Park City movement. Since that question was asked 10 years ago, we’re now seeing the National Park City story become a global movement.
Following the launch of London National Park City in July 2019, we were joined by the second National Park City – *Adelaide, Australia at the end of 2021.
Like London the team at Green Adelaide were motivated by making their Greener and Healthier, but also Cooler – being on the frontline of the global temperature rises many of us are facing due to the climate emergency.
Two cities in 10 years is not too bad – so it’s exciting to see the next 5 nominated cities already lined up and on the journey to becoming National Park Cities – through the combined efforts of grassroots, civil society, and city government teams the cities of Breda and Rotterdam in the Netherlands, Chattanooga in the USA, and Glasgow and Southampton in the UK are all close to becoming National Park Cities.
Each campaign team has demonstrated that they have an active movement with at least 200 supporting partners, and have shown their commitment to work towards submitting their applications to be recognised as National Park Cities.
why all cities should be national park cities
Cities are both a key contributor to climate change, and home to the resources (financial and people), innovation hubs and political centres that have the most potential to address its impacts. In cities we’ve lost our connection to nature – and with 70% of all people expected to live in urban areas by 2050 this is a critical moment. Bringing people close to nature where they are is an essential task in addressing the climate and biodiversity emergencies that we face globally.Â
The good news is we have everything we need to address these twin climate and biodiversity challenges. What we need is the political will and new stories that help us imagine better futures for living in cities.
The National Park City movement is committed to play it’s part in being one of the stories that help deliver the global goals outlined in the The Paris Agreement, UNSDGs and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) – which set out how cities around the world must work together for the greater good.
how your city can become a national park city
The National Park City Foundation is aiming for 25 cities to become Nominated or Established National Park Cities by 2025, and are especially keen to hear from grassroots and city leaders in fast urbanising cities in Africa, South America and Asia who are inspired by the possibility of their city becoming a National Park City.
The process of how your cities might become National Park Cities was set out in what became known as the Journey Book.
This simple guide for inquisitive cities outlines the 10 steps any group of people can take to make their own city a National Park City, and the 23 criteria that cities are assessed against by a group of their peers when they are ready to submit their full application.
The journey to become a National Park City begins with a first step – and that means a group of people coming together to ask ‘What if?’ our city was to become a National Park City. To find out more visit nationalparkcity.org and join our international online community and attend our next ‘What if your city was a National Park City? meet-ups.
*Green Adelaide acknowledges the Kaurna people as the Traditional Owners of the lands and waters of the Adelaide region, upon which we have the privilege to work and connect. We acknowledge and respect the cultural, spiritual, physical and emotional connection that Kaurna Miyurna (Kaurna People) hold with their land, waters and community, and we pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging. Green Adelaide will work in partnership with the First Peoples of South Australia to take a leading role in caring for their Country.
