IN S IGH TS R E POR T 1 1 – N O VE M BER 2019
Celebrating green havens: Green Flag Awards® The most basic freedom afforded by great urban parks is the ability not just to occupy places of beauty and meaning, but to also feel comfortable using them.1
What makes a great park? Connections - the community strengthens the park and the park strengthens the community. A good park provides things that the neighbourhood needs and desires for daily life.
Image: TECT All Terrain Park, source: https://www.tectallterrainpark.co.nz/activities
Why? The Green Flag Award® & Green Flag Community Award aim to:
Variety - a variety of experiences for many different people across the course of the day and in each season of the year.
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Ensure that everybody has access to quality green and other open spaces, irrespective of where they live.
Comfort - environmental features such as shade in the summer or rain and wind protection, makes a park more inviting and usable in every season. Similarly, places to sit, restrooms, water fountains, park buildings and food concessions can make parks more appealing.
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Ensure that these spaces are appropriately managed and meet the needs of the communities that they serve.
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Establish standards of good management.
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Promote and share good practice amongst the green space sector.
Materials – choice of materials influence more than how a place looks or feels; they are essential to how a park functions, where “function” can incorporate everything from managing stormwater to engaging the imagination.
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Recognise and reward the hard work of managers, staff and volunteers.
Coherence - planting, topography and circulation, all working together are important tools in creating a sense of effortlessness in navigating a big or complex park.2
How are parks assessed?
What is a Green Flag Award®? The Green Flag Award® is an international benchmark of quality for publicly accessible parks and green spaces. Originating in the United Kingdom, in 1997, it was developed in response to ongoing underfunding which saw many previously beautiful historic and local parks become derelict, dangerous, and forgotten. Globally there are 2,000 plus Green Flag Award® parks; in Ireland, Netherlands, Germany, Turkey, Spain, Portugal, Mexico, Sweden, Finland, Belgium, the UAE, UK, Australia and New Zealand. 1 Insights Report – Celebrating Green Havens
Community involvement in parks is key to the success of these Awards.
To receive an Award, parks are assessed against criteria including community involvement in the park’s development, environmental impact, biodiversity, landscape and heritage aspects, management, and appearance. When assessing parks, the judges look beyond the park’s appearance to how the park connects with its community, and the story it tells. In the 2018/2019 award season 28 awards were presented to cemeteries, parks and reserves throughout New Zealand. Click here to review winners. For more information on judging criteria, click here.