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Melburnians don’t just love a good laneway bar or late-night bowl of pasta – this is a city famously devoted to it’s top-tier gardens, too. And now, it’s official: Melbourne has been ranked the fifth-best city in the world for green space in Time Out’s 2026 global survey, making it the highest-ranking city in Australia when it comes to access to nature. Not bad for a city that also just nabbed the title of best in the world overall.
Each year, Time Out surveys tens of thousands of city-dwellers (in 2026 it was 24,000 people) to get the lowdown on what really makes a city tick – from food and culture to dating, nightlife and – crucially – how easy it is to find a patch of grass to flop onto. For this year’s green rankings, locals across 150 cities were asked to rate their access to nature, and Melbourne came in swinging with an impressive 87 per cent approval score.
So, what makes Naarm such a standout? For starters, there’s the sprawling, much-loved Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria – 38 hectares of manicured lawns, ornamental lakes and shady trees just a stone’s throw from the CBD. Just across the road, the wide-open expanse of Kings Domain serves up even more room to roam, with its leafy avenues and sweeping city views.
RELATED READ: Melbourne is scoring a $26 million boost to its gardens and green spaces
Then there’s the wild, river-hugging beauty of Yarra Bend Park – the city’s largest natural bushland park, where you’re as likely to spot flying foxes as lycra-clad cyclists. And if coastal air is more your thing, there’s St Kilda Beach for sunset strolls, sea breezes and a very real holiday feeling.
Even Melbourne’s inner-city green pockets punch above their weight. Fitzroy Gardens is all fairytale cottages and elm-lined paths, while Carlton Gardens pairs heritage-listed beauty with prime people-watching ops.
And then there’s the city’s famously wholesome tree story: back in 2018, Melbourne assigned email addresses to around 70,000 trees so residents could report issues. Instead, locals sent love letters. Actual love letters to actual trees: existential questions, heartfelt notes and the occasional seasonal check-in. It’s a sort-of weird and pretty damn adorable demonstration of Melbourne's commitment to its tree-shaped residents.
While the UK’s Bath took out the top spot globally for green space (followed by Chicago and Montreal), Melbourne’s top five ranking proves you don’t need to leave Australia to find world-class nature woven into city life.
You’ll find the full guide to the world’s best cities for green space over here.
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