What's Your What If?
The campaign for London to become the world’s first National Park City was the result of a wide-ranging, inclusive movement which worked across the city to build enthusiasm, excitement, and support for this radical new idea.
What is your What If?Â
When we launched the Greater London National Park City Proposal in July 2015, it was built on a bold question: What if London were a National Park City? That spark has inspired countless others.
In her book Nature is a Human Right, Ellen Miles, alongside Dan Raven-Ellison, gathered a constellation of What If? questions from our supporters. These questions shimmer with possibility, and today many are already being realised by individuals, organisations, and local government across the capital.
Now, a decade on from that first audacious idea, we’re returning to you with a new invitation: What is your What If? Â
Scroll to the bottom of the page to submit your idea.
Buzz Club: citizen science you can do from a balcony, a back garden, or a single plant pot
We’re excited to share The Buzz Club, a citizen science community run from the University of Sussex, directed by Professor Dave Goulson, led by Issy Sexton and powered by hundreds of volunteers who are helping answer a deceptively big question: what actually works for insects in the places we live?
What If Depaving Was the New Neighbourhood Habit?
Nancy is a London National Park City Ranger and an active member of Heston Action Group, a resident-led movement that began in a very London way, by noticing what was being neglected, and deciding to do something about it.
What If you walked through 50 London Parks in one day?
Nancy is a London National Park City Ranger and an active member of Heston Action Group, a resident-led movement that began in a very London way, by noticing what was being neglected, and deciding to do something about it.
Are you ready to see the city with fresh eyes?
There are three kinds of What If? questions, each carrying its own weight and potential:
- At the highest tier sits the visionary What If – the bold, horizon-shaping question that can define the very identity of a movement or organisation.
- The second-tier What If narrows the lens, yet still carries a broad ambition. These are the questions that shape strategy within a particular sphere.
- The third-tier What If – perhaps the most powerful of all. These are the catalytic questions that don’t just inspire lofty visions, but actively carve pathways to action.
Together, they form a layered architecture of imagination, designed not just to provoke thought, but to spark real change. We’ve selected four questions for you to explore that are now being brought to fruition.
London National Park City Charter
What Ifs?
The Charter of the London National Park City is a collaborative document that sets out the collective ambitions, goals and aims of the London National Park City movement.Â
Part of the Charter sets out a series of What If? questions.
The London Charter
The Charter of the London National Park City is a collaborative document that sets out the collective ambitions, goals, and aims of the London National Park City movement. We are working together for better:
The Charter was signed by the Mayor of London and over 300 organisations at a ceremony’s celebrating the launch of London National Park City in July 2019.
