Access to nature: a panel discussion
Our recent panel discussion focused on how connection to nature is vital to our wellbeing. You can read an account of the discussion below.
In the access to nature panel discussion, garden designer and Gardeners’ Question Time regular, Matthew Wilson, chaired a panel that also included Louise Wyman, Strategic Director, Manchester City Council; Louise Clarke Head of Sustainable Places at Berkeley Group and Loyd Grossman, Chairman of Royal Parks.
Noting how distinct different people’s experiences of lockdown had been, Matthew Wilson first asked if what are the physical and mental benefits of bringing nature into the built environment might be across both the rural and urban scale..
“The last three to four months have demonstrated to us the importance of nature and has given the opportunity to connect with nature more,” Louise Clarke replied. “We need to ensure that as we build our future, our parks and nature are an integrated part of urban design. We all love our open parks where we can play, but we also need to think about the quieter places that are just as important for our mental health and wellbeing.”
“How can we seek to address the imbalance brought about by where you live and your relative wealth?” Matthew asked.
“Policy has been around densification,” Louise replied. “But if you have good urban design, you can increase the amount of open space. It’s about ensuring that you plan correctly, then intertwine the green space throughout the development so there’s enough space for people to walk and use that.”
Loyd Grossman urged the panel to remember that the pandemic has created lots of new issues but accelerated problems already, such as the privatisation and monetisation of the public realm.