On Monday 22 July 2019, London will become the world’s first National Park City and I am very, very, very honoured and proud to be hosting the National Park City Summit where London’s new status will be confirmed at City Hall by the National Park City Foundation and Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan.
You know how much I love my city of London and how much I love my gardening and green spaces, so to be hosting this is unbelievable for me. The summit will be attended by guests from across London and from representatives from other cities around the UK and the world looking to follow London’s lead as a National Park City.
This event kicks off the week-long National Park City Festival, from 20-28 July, organised by the Mayor of London in partnership with the National Park City Foundation. The Festival will feature hundreds of free, fun events in celebration of London’s green spaces, wildlife habitats, green rooftops and waterways.
Just to remind you, London has:
• 3,000 parks
• 850 km of streams, rivers and canals
• 144 nature reserves
• 3.8 million gardens
• 8.3 million trees
So, we are entitled to be the world’s first National Park City!!! Are you with me?!

I can’t wait to meet the much talked about London National Park City Founder, Dan Raven-Ellison, and recently he said:
“I came up with the idea of cities becoming National Park Cities six years ago after asking myself if cities could be better for people and nature if they applied the kind of principles we usually associate with rural National Parks. I think they definitely can. This is an incredible opportunity to help make London greener, healthier and wilder and it’s partially about celebrating everything that we’ve achieved in London to make our city so green and diverse and it’s a challenge to make life better in the future too.”
I will also get to interview London’s Mayor, Sadiq Khan… and I can’t wait!! He has said of the Summit:
“Our National Park City Festival shows just how important it is to protect our environment, including our wildlife and reconnect Londoners with the outdoors with lots of free events for everyone to enjoy across London’s beautiful green spaces, rooftops and waterways. After recent UN reports revealed that nature and biodiversity is being lost at an unprecedented rate, I am committed to helping make London the world’s first National Park City and protecting our green and blue spaces and wildlife.”
For more information, check the website here:
https://nationalparkcity.london.gov.uk/https://nationalparkcity.london.gov.uk/https://nationalparkcity.london.gov.uk/
and the video here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4mwbPYcTZQhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4mwbPYcTZQhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4mwbPYcTZQ