DOI QR코드

DOI QR Code

An understanding of green space policies and evaluation tools in the UK: A focus on the Green Flag Award

영국 녹지 정책과 녹지 평가 발달에 대한 이해: Green Flag Award를 중심으로

  • Nam, Jin-Vo (The Place-keeping Research Group, The University of Sheffield) ;
  • Kim, Nam-Choon (Dept. of Green & Landscape Architecture, Dankook University)
  • 남진보 (셰필드대학교 The Place-keeping Research Group) ;
  • 김남춘 (단국대학교 녹지조경학과)
  • Received : 2018.11.12
  • Accepted : 2019.02.14
  • Published : 2019.02.28

Abstract

Green spaces are recognised for the benefits. They bring to the quality of people's lives. However, since the 1980s there has been a general increase in poorly-managed green spaces. In an attempt to address this issue, green space policy has changed its focus on green space management through the gradual introduction of green space evaluation tools, such as the Green Flag Award (GFA). The GFA, as an established green space evaluation tool in the UK, reflects a shift in policy drivers of green spaces management. However, there is a lack of research investigating the contextualisation between a wide range of policy contexts and such green space evaluation tools (the GFA in this study). The aims of this study are therefore to explore the development of green space evaluation since the late 1990s, with respect to the growth of the GFA and its impact on other evaluation tools across the UK and several countries. To address the aims, this study employs in-depth literature reviews on UK green space policy mainly conducted by government. In addition, case studies are presented, focusing on the GFA and independent green space evaluation tools intrinsically derived from the GFA in the UK's cities and Nordic countries. Results show that based on the awareness of the severity of declining standards of green spaces, newly emerging policy arrangements have been adopted to address negative issues, which affect the standard of green spaces such as the transfer of responsibility for green space management, the implementation of Compulsory Competitive Tendering and ongoing budget cuts. Significantly, the GFA's indicators reflect the emerging changes of economic and social contexts associated with green spaces management where, in particular, the prospect of continuous budget cuts, which encourages communities to become involved in green space management. The GFA has widely contributed to leading such UK's cities and other countries to be able to create their independent green space evaluation tools in different approaches based on stakeholders' (mainly community) involvement in the decision-making process of green space evaluation. In conclusion, this study implies that successful green space evaluation tools do embody the value of green spaces and address drivers of emerging green space management with correspondence to the context of policy arrangements. Importantly, stakeholders have an opportunity to be involved in a partnership in the decision-making process through some green space evaluation tools. It is hoped that for well-managed green spaces this study will contribute valuable knowledge to our existing understanding of green space management in an era of austerity.

Keywords

HKBOB5_2019_v22n1_13_f0001.png 이미지

Figure 1. Revenue Expenditure and Financing by service between 2007 and 2016 (£ million) Reformed graphs: Original sources adapted from Local authority revenue expenditure and financing, (DCLG, 2007-2016).

HKBOB5_2019_v22n1_13_f0002.png 이미지

Figure 2. The development of Green Flag Award and the number of winning sites Reformed figure: Original sources adapted from Greenhalgh and Parsons, 2004 and Green Flag Award website

HKBOB5_2019_v22n1_13_f0003.png 이미지

Figure 3. The citywide judging criteria average scores between 2008 and 2010 in Edinburgh Sources adapted from Green Flag Award & Parks and Greenspace Quality Assessments, Edinburgh City Council, 2010

HKBOB5_2019_v22n1_13_f0004.png 이미지

Figure 4. Developing Nordic Green Space Award Reformed figure: Original sources adapted from Lindholst et al. 2016

Table 1. Criteria of Public Parks Assessment

HKBOB5_2019_v22n1_13_t0001.png 이미지

Table 2. Green spaces-related policies and strategies after The New Labour Government

HKBOB5_2019_v22n1_13_t0002.png 이미지

Table 3. Assessment criteria for the Sheffield Standard

HKBOB5_2019_v22n1_13_t0003.png 이미지

References

  1. Appleby, M. 2008. Mentoring partnership extends Green Flag Award to Dutch parks. Twickenham, UK: Horticulture Week.
  2. Barber, A. 2005. Green Future: A study of the management of multifunctional urban green spaces in England. Reading, UK: Green Space Forum.
  3. Burton, M. and Mathers, A. 2014. Collective responsibility for place-keeping: Are partnerships the solution for open space management? In Dempsey, N. Smith, H. and Burton, M. (Eds.), Place-keeping: Open space management in practice. Abingdon, UK: Routledge.
  4. CABE Space. 2006. Urban parks: Do you know what's getting for your money. London: CABESpace.
  5. Daniels, B..Zaunbrecher, B. S..Paas, B..Ottermanns, R..Ziefle, M. and Ro$\ss$- Nickoll, M. 2018. Assessment of urban green space structures and their quality from a multidimensional perspective. Science of the Total Environment 615(2018): 1364-1378. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.09.167
  6. D'Antonio, A..Monz, C..Newman, P..Lawson, S. and Taff, D. 2013. Enhancing the utility of visitor impact assessment in parks and protected areas: A combined social-ecological approach. Journal of Environmental Management 124(30): 72-81. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2013.03.036
  7. Sheffield City Council. 2016. Sheffield Trees and Woodlands Strategy 2016-2030. Reserch report to Sheffield City Council.
  8. DETR. 2000. Urban White Paper of 2000: Our Towns and Cities: The Future - Delivering an Urban Renaissance. Reserch report to Department of the Environment Transport and the Regions.
  9. DCLG. 2009 to 2016. Local authority revenue expenditure and financing. Reserch report to Department for Communities and Local Government.
  10. DCLG. 2010. The New Deal for Communities Experience: A final assessment. Reserch report to The Stationary Office.
  11. DCLG. 2012. National Planning Policy Framework. Reserch report to Department for Communities and Local Government.
  12. DCLG. 2013. The Sustainable Communities Act 2007: Update Report. Reserch report to The Stationary Office.
  13. DEFR. and Natural England. 2014. Doorstep and Millennium Greens: making changes. Reserch report to Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs and Natural England.
  14. DTLR. 2002. Improving Urban Parks, Play Areas and Open spaces. Reserch report to Department for Transport Local Government and the Regions.
  15. Dempsey, N..Burton, M. and Selin, J. 2016. Contracting Out Parks and Roads Maintenance in England. International Journal of Public Sector Management 29(5).
  16. Dempsey, N..Jayaraj, R. and Redmond, E. 2018. There's always the river: social and environmental equity in rapidly urbanising landscapes in India. Landscape Research 43(3): 275-288. https://doi.org/10.1080/01426397.2017.1315389
  17. Edinburgh City Council. 2017. Parks Quality Assessments 2017. Reserch report to Edinburgh City Council.
  18. Green Flag Award websites. http://www.greenflagaward.org.uk
  19. Greenhalgh, L. and Worpole, K. 1995. Park Life: Urban parks and social renewal. London: Comedia and Demos.
  20. Greenhalgh, L. and Parsons, A. 2004. Raising the Standard: The Manual of the Green Flag Award (updated). Reserch report to Department for Communities and Local Government.
  21. Greenhalgh, L..Newton, J. and Parsons, A. 2006. Raising the standard-The Green Flag Award Guidance Manual. London: CABESpace.
  22. Heritage Lottery Fund. 2016. State of UK Public Parks 2016. London: Heritage Lottery Fund.
  23. HMSO. 1988. The Local Government Act 1988. London: Her Majesty's Stationery Office.
  24. Lasdun, S. 1991. The English Park: royal, private and public. New York: Rizzoli International Publications.
  25. Layton-Jones, K. 2016. History of public park funding and management (1820-2010). London: Historic England.
  26. Lindholst, A. C..Cecil, C..van den Bosch, K..Kjoller, C. P..Sullivan, S..Kristoffersson, A..Fors, H. and Nilsson, K. 2016. Urban green space qualities reframed toward a public value management paradigm: The case of the Nordic Green Space Award. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening 17(2016): 166-176. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2016.04.007
  27. MHCLG. 2012. More Green Flag Awards for great local parks. Reserch report to Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government.
  28. MHCLG. 2017. Government to extend Green Flag Award for 5 more years. Reserch report to Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government.
  29. Muller, N. and Kamada, M. 2011. URBIO: an introduction to the International Network in Urban Biodiversity and Design. Landscape and Ecological Engineering 7(1): 1-8. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11355-010-0139-7
  30. Nam, J. and Dempsey, N. 2018. Community food growing in parks? Assessing the acceptability and feasibility in Sheffield, UK. Sustainability 10(8): 2887. https://doi.org/10.3390/su10082887
  31. Nam, J. and Dempsey, N. 2019. Understanding stakeholder perceptions of acceptability and feasibility of formal and informal planting in Sheffield's district parks. Sustainability 11(2): 360. https://doi.org/10.3390/su11020360
  32. NAO. 2006. Enhancing Urban Green Spaces. London: National Audit Office.
  33. Nordic Green Space Award. 2011. Nordic Green Space Award. Oslo: Nordic Green Space Award.
  34. ODPM. 2002. Vision Statement PPG:17 Assessment Guide. Reserch report to Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.
  35. ODPM. 2003. Sustainable Communities: Building for the Future. Reserch report to Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.
  36. ODPM. 2005. "How to create quality parks and open spaces" guidance. Reserch report to Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.
  37. Park, E. H..Kim, J. W. and Oh, C. H. 2015. A Study on the Development of the Urban River Environment Evaluation Indexes Using Delphi Method. Journal of The Korea Society of Environmental Restoration Technology 18(6): 27-38. (in Korean with Engish summary) https://doi.org/10.13087/kosert.2015.18.6.27
  38. Seo, J. Y. and Sung, H. C. 2009a. A Study on the User's Actual Condition and Analysis of Spatial Organization on the Urban Park. Journal of The Korea Society of Environmental Restoration Technology 12(6): 99-111. (in Korean with Engish summary)
  39. Seo, J. Y. and Sung, H. C. 2009b. A Study on the User-driven Urban Park Development Plan Awareness Survey. Journal of The Korea Society of Environmental Restoration Technology 12(2): 61-72. (in Korean with Engish summary)
  40. Sheffield City Council. 2013. Sheffield Standard. Reserch report to Sheffield City Council.
  41. Stokke, H. 2013. Nordic Multiculturalism: Commonalities and Differences: in Kivisto, P. and Wahlbeck, O. 2013. Debating Multiculturalism in the Nordic Welfare States. New York: Springer Link.
  42. The Stationary Office. 1972. The Local Government Act 1972. London: HM Treasury.
  43. The Stationary Office. 2004. The Green Book. London: HM Treasury.
  44. The Stationary Office. 2008. PPS12: Creating strong safe and prosperous communities through Local Spatial Planning. Reserch report to Department for Communities and Local Government.
  45. The Stationary Office. 2011. The Localism Act 2011. London: Department for Communities and Local Government.
  46. Third Sector Research Centre. 2012. The Big Society: a new policy environment for the third sector?. London: Third Sector Research Centre.
  47. TCPA. 2012. Good practice guidance for green infrastructure and biodiversity. Reserch report to Town and Country Planning Association.
  48. TIEC. 2010. Green Flag-Parks and Greenspace Quality Assessments. London: Transport, Infrastructure and Environment Committee.
  49. Urban Park Forum. 2001. Public parks assessment: a survey of local authority owned parks. Urban Park Forum. London: GreenSpaces.
  50. Virtanen, K. 2017. Standard for green areas: The Green Flag Award, Lepaa Campus. Reserch report to Lahti University of Applied Sciences.
  51. Wilson, O. and Hughes, O. 2011. Urban Green Space Policy and Discourse in England under New Labour from 1997 to 2010. Planning Practice & Research 26(2).