Stephen Willis’ Post

Compared to an official city park, these “informal green spaces” don’t get much love from humans, even though they serve as invaluable sanctuaries for pollinators and other urban species. What's a green space? It’s a strip of dirt and grass between a sidewalk and a street, or an empty lot, or greenery running along a railway. Compared to an official city park, these “informal green spaces” don’t get much love from humans, even though they serve as invaluable sanctuaries for pollinators and other urban species. Why it matters: Green spaces support biodiversity, their dirt can soak up rainwater to prevent flooding, and they release water vapor to cool the surrounding area. New research finds that they’re also getting a surprising amount of engagement from human passersby, suggesting that informal green spaces can improve mental health by reuniting urban populations, particularly in underserved neighborhoods, with nature. How to preserve them: Nurturing these spaces sometimes means just letting them grow wild, undisturbed. In other cases a city might turn vacant lots into community gardens, providing both food for people and habitats for animals. Community members can also tend smaller roadside plots. 🔗 https://ow.ly/b4UK50T1lrS ✍️ Matt Simon | Grist 📸 Romain Perrocheau/ AFP via Getty Images

The once-familiar chirp of house sparrows (Passer domesticus) that filled our urban neighborhoods is gradually fading into silence. These small yet significant birds, which have shared our living spaces for centuries, are facing unprecedented challenges in the modern world. #BirdConservation #EcoFriendlyPractices #EnvironmentalAwareness #HabitatRestoration #HouseSparrows #SparrowConservation #UrbanBiodiversity #WorldSparrowDay

"Terra Ceia in Manatee County : Privacy, Nature & Great Real Estate",#TerraCeiaFlorida #WendyLynnSarasota #ParrishFloridaNeighborhoods #ParrishFloridaRealEstateAgent #ParrishFloridaRealtor #ParrishFloridaRealEstate,

Join our next webinar and hear how parks are preserving natural areas in their communities. These are critical nature based solutions to ensure communities are environmentally resilient and healthy! Learn from leaders in the field how they are advancing these efforts and how you can too.

Have you ever passed by the space under a bridge and thought about its potential? These often overlooked areas hold immense promise for creative development that can benefit the environment, communities, and the economy by providing central space for: 🌱Green Spaces and Urban Gardens to enhance urban greenery, reduce heat island effect, and foster community engagement and well being. Example: The Bentway in Toronto, Canada, has transformed under the Gardiner Expressway into a vibrant public park with walking trails, gardens, and performance spaces. https://thebentway.ca/ 🎪 Community Markets and Events to support local businesses, promote cultural exchange, and revitalize underutilized urban areas. Example: The Bridge Market in London, UK, turns the space under the railway arches into a thriving market with shops, restaurants, and cultural events. https://lnkd.in/dgk-xcVj 🎨 Public Art and Murals to beautify cities, support local artists, and create a sense of place and identity. Example: The Underline in Miami, Florida, includes public art installations and mural projects under the Metrorail. https://lnkd.in/d94uu25B 🏀 Recreational Facilities to provide recreational opportunities, encourage physical activity, and enhance urban livability. Example: Underpass Park in Toronto, Canada, has converted the space under the Eastern Avenue and Richmond/Adelaide overpasses into a dynamic community area with basketball courts, playgrounds, and skateparks. https://lnkd.in/dPAaFQKJ Transforming these spaces is not just about creative urban planning; it’s about envisioning a future where every part of our cities contributes to sustainability, inclusivity, and economic vitality. #UrbanPlanning #SustainableCities #CommunityDevelopment #GreenSpaces #PublicArt #Innovation

This is a great piece from The Guardian last week on a study looking at the benefits of urban wildflower. The study confirmed that small areas of wildflower in urban areas can attract as many pollinators as larger areas of natural meadow in more rural areas. https://lnkd.in/e4VxYsRb This supports the work we do adding areas of wildflower to open spaces on the residential developments we manage. Every little helps as they say and this study confirms it! 🐝🦋 #biodiversity #residentialdevelopment #openspacemanagement https://lnkd.in/e4VxYsRb

🌳 Challenge Alert: Let’s Run for Our Parks! 🏃♀️🏃♂️ 🌿 Attention town planners, architects, environmentalists, and everyone in the built environment: I’m challenging YOU to lace up your running shoes and join me in raising awareness about the state of our parks! Here’s the challenge: 👉 Run 3km or more at your local park or a park you feel needs attention. 👉 Take a picture at the park (highlight areas in need of care or show off its potential). 👉 Share your experience and tag me in your post using the hashtag #RunForOurParks. 🎯 Why? Parks are vital spaces for communities, yet many are underfunded or neglected. As professionals shaping our cities, let’s use our collective voice (and footsteps!) to shine a light on the importance of well-maintained, accessible green spaces. 💡 What’s Next? Together, we can create awareness and drive change—one park, one step at a time. Who knows? This could spark the revitalization of a forgotten gem in your city! Are you up for the challenge? Let’s turn this into a movement! 🏞️ NB. Challenge is open to anyone! Within or outside of the built environment NB. Track your 3k run and take a screen shot as proof to be eligible for the prize!! #BuiltEnvironment #UrbanDesign #GreenSpaces #RunForOurParks #ActiveCities #ParkRevivalChallenge

"A proposal to protect part of rural Wales has sparked a furious debate over who the countryside is for" And 'what' it is for...... "Britain’s original national parks were established in the 1950s to give working people opportunities for open-air recreation and to preserve natural beauty, the new park will also aim to restore the area’s biodiversity and mitigate against the climate crisis." There are concerns. And those concerns need to be heard. The worries, hopes and fears for the future in rural Wales will play out in microcosm here: what is 'productive' land by modern standards, what are public benefits and who is recompensed for delivering these and how, who has rights and who has responsibilities, and what, if any restraints do we put on the open market for land and property? One thing we should be certain of is that national parks, should be national examples of natural heritage: past, present and potential, giving people access to nature-rich landscapes that provide wellbeing opportunities, health giving access, and awe and wonder. Interested in learning more or contributing to the consultation, Campaign for National Parks has a great info and consultation page, here: https://lnkd.in/edJychRf #nationalparks #nationalnature #nationalspace Howard Davies Sue Holden Adam Kennerley Jonathan Hulson https://lnkd.in/eHReMjpj