The world’s most incredible parks

Christopher Beanland’s new book, City Parks, explores some of the world’s most spectacular parks and how city green spaces have become an essential part of public life. He spoke to Express.co.uk about why the UK’s parks are so important and how the world’s green spaces have transformed over time.

As was the case for many Britons, it was the pandemic that underlined the importance of parks for Christopher.

He told Express.co.uk: “Lockdown had a lot to do with it because we all spent a lot of time in parks. I think we rediscovered the value of the park.

“It was the only place that we could legally go so it became our garden and our place to socialise or go on a date.

“But for a lot of people who live in cities without gardens, it’s this place that we really need all the time that allows us to breathe.”

London is actually one of the world’s greenest cities and around 33 percent of the British capital is green. Birmingham’s Sutton Park is one of the largest urban parks in Europe.

However, Christopher thinks the UK sometimes takes its parks for granted, particularly outside of cities.

He said:“I think that viewpoint is probably more prevalent among people who don’t need parks and don’t use parks, maybe people without children or who have gardens, or live in the countryside.”

However, whether it’s a student haven like Woodhouse Moor in Leeds or a tourist hotspot like Edinburgh’s Arthur’s Seat, Christopher’s book demonstrates the diversity of the UK’s parks and how many communities gather in one space.

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He told Express.co.uk: “I go to the lido in London Fields every day. It’s kind of like a ritual for me to go swimming.

“And it’s one of those parks where it gets quite raucous in summer with birthday parties, but it’s also really popular with families.”

City Parks has a global focus and explores a full range of green spaces from Hong Kong’s Victoria Peak to Munich’s English Gardens.

Parks can be a way of capturing the spirit and history of a city, something that Christopher explores in City Parks and his comedy podcast, Park Date, where he interviews guests in a park connected to them.

In one episode, he’s joined by Timothy Gray, an Aboriginal elder and poet, to explore Barangaroo Reserve in Sydney, Australia. The pair discuss the ways the park has drawn on Aboriginal heritage to create a public space for all.

City Parks also explores some of the world’s more controversial parks, including New York’s famous Highline park, which was built on a historic freight rail line above Manhattan’s West Side.

While the park is a tourist hotspot, for some local residents it’s a symbol of growing gentrification. House prices around the High Line soared after it opened in 2009.

Christopher said: “There’s a lot of pushback. Some people would argue that things like the Highline are gentrifying the city in a way that’s just kind of fueling property development.

“Some people would say ‘is this just a thing for tourists or a thing that’s going to push up property prices?’ People have definitely questioned the rationale behind them.”

The UK could soon have its own “park in the sky”. The Camden Highline will transform a disused railway viaduct into a park.

However, the author has also spotted a shift away from man-made spaces in the UK with more focus on rewilding.

He said: “A lot of parks in the past were quite managed, man-made spaces. I think we’re seeing a trend now towards things that are a bit more wild.

“I went to a park in Bristol where rather than having managed flowerbeds, they’d kind of turned it over to nature. Just letting nature take its course with more trees, wetlands and grasslands rather than rose beds in the shape of a clock.”

City Parks was released on April 13 and is available from major retailers, including Amazon.

Christopher’s podcast, Park Date, can be found at parkdate.co.uk.

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