A city’s green spaces can have many functions. They’re a metropolis’s lungs, an escape from the noise and stress of urban life, a garden for those not lucky enough to have one – in other words, they’re something to be treasured.
The UK is blessed with several very green cities indeed, and that’s been confirmed once again by Time Out’s latest ranking of the world’s best cities for green spaces and access to nature. The 20-strong list, which was the result of surveys of thousands of city-dwellers around the world, featured two especially leafy UK cities.
One of those two cities was London, which is so green it’s technically a forest. The capital placed best in Britain in the top 20, coming joint-third. A remarkable 87 percent of Londoners rated their city’s greenery and access to nature as either ‘good’ or ‘amazing’.
The other UK city to make the list was Edinburgh – and the Scottish capital wasn’t far behind London in the ranking. Auld Reekie placed joint fifth (with Austin and Melbourne), with 86 percent of Dunediner survey respondents having positive things to say about Edinburgh’s green spaces.
And there’s no denying that Edinburgh is a leafy place. The gloriously green likes of Holyrood Park, Arthur’s Seat, Carlton Hill, Princes Street Gardens, The Meadows, The Royal Botanic Garden and much more are all within the city limits, while beaches like Portobello and Silverknowes are within easy reach.
Beyond the city itself, more expansive green spaces at Pentland Hills, Dalkeith and Vogrie are all very accessible, and the Scottish Borders aren’t too far, either. You can find Time Out’s guide to the best green spaces and parks in Edinburgh here.
Time Out’s global ranking of the best cities for green space and access to nature was topped this year by Medellín in Colombia, with Boston in second and Sydney in third.
Find the full list of the world’s top cities for green space and access to nature right now here.
Stay in the loop: sign up to our free Time Out UK newsletter for the latest UK news and the best stuff happening across the country.