Adelaide has been named the world’s second National Park City, after London, at the World Urban Park Congress.
Bestowed by the UK-based National Park City Foundation, the designation is not meant as an award but “the beginning of a journey” towards creating “greener, healthier, wilder and fairer places to live.”
The idea is to transplant some of the principles associated with official national parks onto the city, to value cities as important centres of biodiversity, natural heritage and recreation in their own right.
South Australia’s environment minister David Speirs said Adelaide becoming a National Park City would bring a range of benefits.
“Adelaide National Park City status isn’t just another title for our city, it is a trigger to promote and connect people with on-ground action to look after our environment for everyone’s health and wellbeing as well as boost our economy through increased tourism,” he said.
“Over the next few years, through our urban environmental board Green Adelaide, you’ll see some real on-ground action towards the Adelaide National Park City movement to create a cooler, greener and wilder city.
“This includes $5 million to green our CBD streets and places, $5 million to re-wild the River Torrens, and millions of dollars in grants to enable the community and councils to deliver climate resilient projects on-ground.
“Plus, the delivery of iconic rewilding projects like bringing platypus back to the Torrens, creating a more butterfly friendly city, and enhancing habitat and awareness about our city’s birds of prey.”
Adelaide’s push to become a National Park City was led by the government body Green Adelaide. The bid was based on the proposed greening measures, as well as Adelaide’s already impressive parklands, which cover 30 percent of the city and support around 1,080 native plant species, 281 native species of birds, 60 native fish species and 47 native mammal species, along with 58 species of reptiles.
Green Adelaide board presiding member Chris Daniels said, “This milestone for our city follows National Geographic recently naming Adelaide as the sixth most sustainable city in the world thanks to the green movement, and the years of effort by volunteers, government and organizations to look after our nature, which boosted our city’s credentials in our application.”
Source: Architecture - architectureau
