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At first glance, London may seem like a colourless concrete jungle. Yes, more than 270 skyscrapers have been built here over the past 10 years, and 600 more are lined up, but you never have to go very far to find a gorgeous pocket of greenery. In fact, from secret gardens and ancient woodlands to thriving wetlands and sprawling commons, London has more than 3,000 (yes, three thousand) parks and open spaces to choose from.
As much as we love the city, we think that green, natural space is a pretty essential antidote to the stresses and stimulation of urban life. Don’t just listen to us, though. Science says green spaces reduce stress, improve our mental health and encourage better physical health too.
So, as part of our annual best cities survey, Time Out asked 18,500 from cities across the globe how they rated their hometown’s green spaces and access to nature. London ranked joint third (next to Sydney) with 87 percent of respondents agreeing that our city’s offering of and access to parks, forests, gardens and natural beauty is ‘good’ or ‘excellent’.
The capital is actually so full of foliage that it’s technically a forest. Trees make up 21 percent of it’s landscape, which is just above the 20 percent that the United Nations says somewhere needs to qualify.
Need to know where exactly to find London’s finest green spaces? In the north of the city you’ve got the likes of Hampstead Heath (and it’s beloved swimming ponds) and Regents Park and to the south, there’s Greenwich Park or Wimbledon Common in the southwest. If you’re in east London, Victoria Park is a firm favourite while out west there’s places like Holland Park or Battersea Park. Plus loads, loads more. You’ll forget you’re in a city at all.
See Time Out’s full list of the world’s best cities for green spaces here.
The City of London’s biggest and oldest park has reopened after a massive makeover.
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