We all love spending time in the great outdoors, whether that’s taking time to sit out in your garden, or venturing further afield. However, the amount of green spaces in cities around the UK varies, with some having up to 10 times more than others. So, where has the most?
A new study from Jurys Inn set out to answer this once and for all. Using data from Ordnance Survey, the study takes some of the biggest cities across the UK, highlighting just how much of each location is made up of open green space.
According to the research, Birmingham comes out on top, with an impressive 15.58% of the city being made up of open green space, followed by Nottingham, with 15.34%
It’s not good news for Cardiff, with the Welsh capital coming in 5th from last, joint with Sunderland – both cities only have 8.04% green space. The only cities scoring lower were Bristol, Leeds, Plymouth and London.
But what good is having acres and acres of green space if the population is so big it’s always too crowded to enjoy?Well, when you take the size of the population into account, you get a very different picture.
When the population of each area is added in, Cardiff jumps to 8th place, with 317 people for every m2 of green space. Coming in at the top is Newcastle (previously 7th), with only 83 people for every m2 of green space, while Birmingham drops from 1st to 6th, with 273 people for every m2 of green space.
Even when taking population into account, City of London still comes in last place, with 2,701 residents for every m2 of green space. And when you add in the 300,000 people who come to the city each day to work, the picture is even worse, with a whopping 88,908 people for every m2 of green space. Good luck finding a nice grassy spot to enjoy your lunch on!
Various studies over the years have drawn parallels between spending time in the great outdoors and improvements to our physical and mental wellbeing. The good news is that these benefits aren’t restricted to the countryside and other rural locations – people living in big bustling cities can enjoy them too. With over 330 parks and gardens spread across Cardiff, you’ve got plenty of places to choose from!
For more information, you can view the complete study on the Jurys Inn website.
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