Partnerships are key to delivering and sustaining urban green space

We know access to nature improves people’s health and wellbeing and strengthens ties within communities. And it’s only going to become more important as we feel the effects of climate change and temperatures rise in towns and cities.

Yet across the UK, our parks are under real pressure. A 2024 survey by the Association for Public Service Excellence (APSE) found that three-quarters of councils expect their parks budgets to fall by at least 5% over the next five years, with around 40% anticipating cuts of 10% or more. Against this backdrop, we must refine our approaches and double down on the models that keep parks and green spaces central to urban life and future developments.

This starts with partnerships. When approached with shared purpose and vision, public-private collaboration can be transformative and help bring in new streams of investment, embed stewardship from the outset and align different stakeholders around a shared recognition that green infrastructure is essential.

I’ve seen this firsthand over the past decade while leading large-scale regeneration projects, including Elephant Park in Southwark. Our partnership with Southwark Council was built on the principle that regeneration should start with nature. Instead of designing buildings first and adding green space later, we asked what kind of environment would allow nature and community to flourish together. That approach preserved 128 mature plane trees, created new habitats and embedded biodiversity strategies across the site.

The results speak for themselves. Elephant Park has delivered a large new green space in Central London, which comprises more than 11 acres of public realm, including rain gardens that reduce flood risk, natural play features like the Elephant Springs and a tree canopy that cools the city in summer. It achieved an Urban Greening Factor of 0.36, well above the London baseline. Just as importantly, the governance structures put in place ensure the space remains resilient and welcoming long after construction has ended.

This model shows how effective collaboration can deliver more than high quality design. Done well, it secures enduring social and environmental value, while also attracting capital. For example, the final residential plot of Elephant Park has seen Lendlease partner with Daiwa House, a Japanese developer. They were drawn to the project in part because of its nature-first approach and strong sustainability and social value credentials. In an era of economic uncertainty, those shared values matter more than ever for securing investment in UK regeneration. When capital follows purpose, the result is both financial viability and real community benefit.

Planning frameworks must evolve to support this. Stewardship should be a starting point rather than a late addition with policies, zoning rules and funding conditions requiring quality and accessibility to be safeguarded from the beginning. The future, function and purpose of green spaces must be embedded from day one and supported by planning frameworks that prioritise long-term care and accessibility.

We should be more ambitious in how we measure success. Traditional metrics – square footage, number of trees or financial return – only tell part of the story. The true value of a park lies in the daily benefits it brings: a child playing safely outdoors, an older person finding respite in shade, a community gathering for events. These are the tangible outcomes that sustain social fabric, improve health and help cities adapt to a changing climate. They are also what make places attractive to live, work and invest in.

There is no single formula for success, but there are guiding principles: trust, transparency and shared ambition. Most importantly, we must be bold enough to design for future generations rather than settling for today’s minimum expectations. If we treat green space as essential infrastructure – as vital as roads or housing – and build partnerships accordingly, we can create places that are not only beautiful, but genuinely transformative.

Picture credit: Kilian O’Sullivan and Bell Phillips Architects