Cities failing over access to green space, University of Leeds study finds
Access to trees and greenspaces is consistently low across English cities, according to a new study led by the University of Leeds.
Researchers measured tree and greenspace access in urban neighbourhoods in cities including Leeds, Bradford and York, and found that at best, only two per cent of buildings in any city region met all three components of the 3-30-300 framework.
The framework recommends that every house, school, and workplace has a view of three trees, that there is 30 per cent canopy cover in each neighbourhood and that each building has a public greenspace within 300m.
The research team applied the framework to seven English cities, creating a baseline to help identify neighbourhoods needing more work, and to monitor their progress.
Lead author of the study Elle Smith, a post-graduate researcher in Leeds’ School of Earth, Environment and Sustainability, said: “By aligning new tree and greenspace targets with the baseline identified in this study, we can make sure we improve access to the full range of benefits, from climate mitigation to improved health and wellbeing.”
The study also found that compared to other cities around the globe, English cities perform similarly at the three-tree component but worse at the 30 per cent canopy cover and greenspace within 300 m components.
Researchers saidthe results emphasise the poor performance of these English cities, not only in meeting the 3-30-300 thresholds, but in comparison with other cities where average performance is consistently better.