Out and About – winter 2017-18 (Download PDF)
Author: Tom Bliss
The Future of Public Parks Report
A report on the London conference; The Future of Public Parks, held on July 17th, can be downloaded here:
http://futureofparks.leeds.ac.uk/news/future-of-public-parks-conference-report-now-available/
(A report on the Leeds conference “‘Reimagining the future of urban public space,’ which from Monday 5 June, can be found here).
You can also find a government response to the Select Committee report with the same title here:
This publication sets out the response by Marcus Jones, Minister for Parks and Green Spaces, to the 17 recommendations made by the Communities and Local Government Select Committee in their original report published on 11 February 2017.
It’s Love Parks Week 2017!
Love Parks Week 2017 Press Release
Love Parks Week 2017
Leeds Parks and Green Spaces Forum are calling for people to celebrate, enjoy and support the parks and other public green spaces of Leeds this year in Love Parks Week which runs from 14 – 23 July 2017.
There are so many ways to enjoy your local park, woodland or nature reserve so why not get out and take a stroll, watch wildlife, play with the kids, do some sport, have a picnic or just relax and enjoy the view! And let us know about it with #loveleedsparks.
And if you really love parks why not get involved by volunteering or donating to the newly established Leeds Parks Fund (see below)?
Leeds Parks Fund launched
We’re excited to announce the launch of the Leeds Parks Fund with partners Leeds Community Foundation and Leeds City Council. This scheme will provide an opportunity for people to make charitable donations to public green space in Leeds www.leedsparksfund.org #LoveLeedsParks
i-Tree Community Day
The i-Tree [https://www.itreetools.org/] Community Day will take place on the 17th of August. Continue reading
Funding Leeds Launched
Leeds Lord Mayor Cllr Jane Dowson unveils the excellent new www.fundingleeds.co.uk website – a one stop shop for all funding sources in Leeds set up by Voluntary Action Leeds.
Other News
Leeds Parks: Past, Present and Future
Roundhay Park Visitors’ Centre, Leeds
To celebrate World Parks Week, this free exhibition from the Leeds Parks Project documents how Leeds parks have changed over time. It presents the findings of a major research project into public parks, and showcases a new collection of images of Leeds parks through time, submitted by members of the public.
Find out why public parks were first created, and how their founders hoped they would transform the city around them. Discover which parks in Leeds are the most popular, how they are used, how they benefit the public and what challenges they currently face. And explore people’s hopes and fears for the future of public parks, in a time of financial cutbacks and growing demand for access to green space. Visitors of all ages and backgrounds are welcome.
The main exhibition programme takes place between Saturday 29th April and Monday 1st May from 10 am – 4 pm, featuring displays, an image slideshow, activities for children, and the following events:
29 April, 2pm: Guided park history walk*
30 April, 2pm: Guided park history walk*
1 May, 1pm: Talk: history of Leeds parks
Reimagining the Future of Urban Public Space
5th June 2017, Great Hall, University of Leeds, LS2 9JT
This one day event will bring together academics and practitioners to explore the current challenges facing, and ways of reinvigorating, urban public space.
The day will explore both a number of contemporary themes and the manner in which these are played out in different types of public spaces – such as parks and green spaces; brownfield regeneration areas; market areas; and commercial and retail zones. Our intention is to deliver the conference around these significant themes and to provide a forum to debate current issues and explore new collaborations. Potential questions for consideration include how might urban space be thought about and used in the future? What purposes might public space seek to secure? What are the core values of ‘publicness’ in public spaces? And how do public spaces become sustainable?
The event is being organised by the Leeds Social Sciences Institute (LSSI), in collaboration with LEAF, the Sustainability Service, and academics from across the University of Leeds.
Find more information and register here: https://lssi.leeds.ac.uk/event/lssi-public-event-reimagining-the-future-of-urban-public-space/
National Federation of Parks and Green Spaces newsletters:
Small grants up to £1000 from Growing a Greener Britain
LEEDS Parks and green spaces forum 