Half of the people living in Ireland believe there are not enough green spaces in their nearest town or city, new research commissioned by the Irish Hardy Nursery Stock Association (IHNSA) has found.
Green spaces in towns and cities are important for the vast majority of people (92%), with 46% of those saying that space for leisure and recreation is the most important benefit.
Survey results show that supporting biodiversity and natural habitats was cited as the second most important benefit of urban green spaces (25%), followed by mitigating climate change (11%).
Research by Amárach marks the More Green Cities for Europe seminar hosted by the IHNSA and Bord Bia today (Friday, November 11). The initiative aims to increase the proportion of green landscaping in building projects, and the use of locally grown planting stock in Ireland.
Chair of the IHNSA, Val Farrell said that urban greening using native Irish stock is a win-win situation, and that the amenity horticulture sector is worth over €77 million to the national economy. He added:
“Supporting local growers in rural areas brings many advantages for planners and developers. Local growers have expertise on the type of stock that is better suited to our Irish climate, and sourcing stock locally reduces our carbon footprint when transporting stock.”
Survey participants also cited the positive impacts of green spaces on social cohesion by allowing people from different backgrounds to interact (7%), and the pride that comes with green spaces in one’s local community (4%).
A sample of 1,000 people were surveyed online in October 2022, and quotas were set on gender, age, social class and region to achieve a sample aligned with the national population.
More Green Cities Europe
Bord Bia is committed to assisting Ireland’s amenity sector in making Irish towns and cities better places to live and work in, through increased green planting that is grown and sold in Ireland, horticulture sector manager at Bord Bia, Michal Slawski said.
“We all have a responsibility to try to safeguard Ireland’s natural and urban environments for future generations,” he added.
More Green Cities for Europe aims to highlight the importance of green areas in minimising climate change, while raising awareness of the wider benefits for human wellbeing, biodiversity, and the economy.
The initiative is aimed at national and local decision-makers, planners, developers, architects, and other sectoral professionals with a view to increasing investment in, and commitment to the greening of public urban areas.
Award-winning landscape architect and founding manager of Estudi Martí Franch, a research-led practice in the field of urban and environmental design based in Spain, Martí Franch Battlori will give the keynote address at today’s seminar.
He will be joined by the head of parks, biodiversity and landscape services at Dublin City Council, Les Moore; and the owner of Nangle and Nielsen Wholesale Nursery in Co. Cork, Ronan Nangle.