A TripAdvisor-style reviews website for parks and green spaces should be set up to improve national standards, a thinktank has suggested. Budget cuts could have a big impact on the condition of England’s urban green spaces so the online reporting of dog fouling, graffiti and litter could help to combat this, according to Policy Exchange.
There has been a 38.7% cut in spending on green spaces by councils in the North East over the past three years, along with cuts of 23.4% in the East Midlands, 18.5% in the South West and 12.7% in the North West.
In its Greener Cities report, the thinktank suggests the launch of a nationwide Mark my Park website would “dramatically improve the quality and cleanliness of local parks”.
It says people could upload photos from their smartphones of unsightly disrepair, vandalism or litter, while a map feature could also detail opening times and give community groups the opportunity to improve their green spaces.
The report’s author Katherine Drayson argues that attractive green spaces are fundamental to the success of towns and cities.
“They are places to exercise, to socialise and to relax. They also support our wildlife, clean our air, reduce flooding and even cool our cities down,” she added.
Source: Interflora – Call for ‘TripAdvisor’-Style Parks Site
