GREEN CITY INDEX

New Report Ranks Cities with the most Green Space Across UK and Europe

• Central London came out as the greenest UK city scoring 36 out of 60
• Each of the UK’s four nations was represented in the top six, with London, Birmingham, and Leeds taking first, second and third positions. Cardiff coming fourth, Glasgow taking fifth spot and Belfast taking sixth
• Leeds, Cardiff, Belfast, Bristol, and Nottingham all have the greenest attractions within their cities
• Sheffield took the top spot for the best UK city for the lowest pollution rates

Find the Green City Index on the Essential Living website: https://www.essentialliving.co.uk/blog/the-greenest-cities-mapped/

The new Green Cities Index study by apartment rental brand Essential Living has revealed which UK and European cities and London Boroughs are leading the way when it comes to green space for residents to enjoy.

Each city and borough within the study was awarded points based on elements such as air quality, pollution, quality of life, life expectancy, and green spaces.

A weighting system was then applied to the scores to calculate just how much green space there is in the immediate area to give the final ranking out of 60.

From parks and gardens to pollution rankings there are so many factors that make a city green. But you might be surprised at the cities topping the list for each of the categories.

Central London Crowned the Greenest City in the UK

Central London came out as the greenest UK city scoring 36 out of 60. The borough ranked highly on the number of parks, gardens, and playgrounds.

Birmingham and Leeds came in second and third positions, respectively. Both cities scored highly on the number of nature and wildlife areas.

The results show that the larger the population, the more green space there is available.

Each of the UK’s four nations was represented in the top six, with London, Birmingham, and Leeds taking first, second and third positions. Cardiff coming fourth, Glasgow taking fifth spot and Belfast taking sixth.

The UK Cities with the Most Green Attractions

Urban green spaces such as parks, woods, lakesides, and gardens give people the space for physical activity, relaxation, peace, and an escape from the hustle and bustle of cities – which will help to reduce stress and boost mental and physical health.

Leeds, Cardiff, Belfast, Bristol, and Nottingham scored top marks for their green credentials. The cities are home to the best parks, gardens, nature & wildlife areas, playgrounds, bodies of water, and forests recognised by TripAdvisor for being a great outdoor attraction.

Hull and Southampton had the least amount of attractions suggesting these cities could do more to make their areas greener.

The UK’s Pollution Ranked

Sheffield took the top spot for the best UK city for the lowest pollution rates followed by Central London in second position and Nottingham in third place.

The worst UK city for pollution is Stoke-on-Trent which scored highly for pollution rankings.

Surprisingly, Leeds came in second place as the UK city with the highest pollution rates even though the city came in third place in the overall study and had the greenest attractions – suggesting more green initiatives are needed to cater for the growing population.

Methodology:

Data correct as of 6th August 2020, combining information from a range of reputable sources such as Numbeo, Tripadvisor, and the ONS.

We used a weighted ranking system, the Green City Index assigns a score to calculate just how much green space there is in the immediate area.

Out of a possible score of 60, the weighting takes 6 factors into account to reveal the greenest cities and boroughs:

1. Number of Parks
2. Number of Gardens
3. Number of Nature and Wildlife areas
4. Number of Playgrounds
5. Bodies of Water
6. Number of Forests