About the Urban Greenspace Campaign -

The Society for the Protection of Urban Green Space

Read (rtf file):

May 2010 Newsletter
February 2010 Newsletter

The Urban Greenspace Campaign is being run by the Society for the Protection of Urban Green Space, a non party-political organization engaged in collating environmental research and campaigning for legislation to adequately protect all urban green space in Europe both now and for the future. It was initiated by a group of people in Plymouth, Devon, UK, who are increasingly concerned about the loss of urban green space - and are hearing stories of similar losses throughout Europe.

The Society is concerned that economic factors are leading to the rapid depletion of urban green space. One possible route is to collect one million signatures to present to the European Commission together with dossiers of relevant scientific research as a Citizens’ Initiative, described in Article 11(4) of the Lisbon Treaty, asking the European Commission to put legislation before the European Parliament to adequately protect all urban green space in Europe.

In this context we invite you to work alongside us in support of the Urban Green Space Campaign, throughout Europe.

The Society for the Protection of Urban Green Space Invites

Affiliation by universities and educational institutions, academic bodies, research groups, clubs, societies and community groups wishing to work alongside us. See below for organisations already affiliated to the Urban Green Space Campaign. Please download the Affiliation form for universities (rtf file) or the Affiliation form for organisations and groups (rtf file).

Sponsorship from all those wishing to become patrons of the Urban Green Space Campaign Please email the address below with suggestions and offers.

Membership from individuals who would like to help the Society to achieve its objective - through raising awareness at a local level, contributing artworks, helping to arrange meetings, etc. There is no charge for membership. Members will receive regular e-mailed newsletters regarding the progress of the Urban Greenspace Campaign. They will also be invited to participate in the various stages of the campaign. Please download membership form for individuals (rtf file).

Help in publicising the campaign. Please tell people about us, and help keep us informed about what is going on in your area.

Donations - any amount small and large to help with costs; everyone working on this campaign is giving their time for free but there are still costs of postage and printing, getting to meetings, etc. Cheques should be made payable to The Society for the Protection of Urban Green Space and correspondence should be addressed to: 29 Sutherland Road, Plymouth PL4 6BW, UK

Email: urbangreenspacecampaign@europe.com

Affiliated Organisations

University of Plymouth
The Centre for Sustainable Futures
University College of St Mark and St John
Plymouth College of Art and Design
Friends of Central Park
Friends of Devonport Park
NOGOE (Greenwich Park)
North Kelvin Meadow Campaign (Glasgow)
Bristol Parks Forum
Plymouth Civic Society
Plymouth Friends of the Earth
Plymouth Music Zone
The Open Spaces Society (nationally)
The Woodland Trust (nationally)
The Silvanus Trust
Centre for Contemporary Art in the Natural World
Devon Wildlife Trust
Transition Town Totnes Arts Group

Extract from the Constitution of The Society for the Protection of Urban Green Space
[including Amendments adopted to the Constitution at SPUGS AGM November 2010]

2. MAIN OBJECTIVE:
To obtain legislation to protect all urban green space including public parks and gardens, sports fields, allotments, children's playgrounds and playing fields and also to guarantee continued public access to these areas.

3. SUBSIDIARY OBJECTIVES AND ENDORSEMENTS:
In furtherance exclusively of the foregoing main objective, the group has the following subsidiary objectives:

a. To organise and effect a campaign to obtain legislation to protect all urban green space.
b. To bring the campaign to the attention of the elected Members of the British Government and the European Parliament and lobby for the support of all political parties.
c. To foster and promote awareness of:
(i) The beneficial effects of urban green space on health and the quality of human life;
(ii) The role of urban green space in reducing air and noise pollution;
(iii) The role of urban green space in absorbing rainwater;
(iv) The role of urban green space in sustaining biodiversity and maintaining the provision of ecosystem services in urban areas;
(v) The need to conserve habitats of adequate size and ecological quality and that the problem of fragmentation needs to be addressed by the provision of movement possibilities for different taxa, by maintaining adequate connectivity between habitat patches and supporting functional ecological networks.
d. To affiliate and collaborate with like-minded organisations throughout Europe.
e. To share knowledge and expertise.
f. To seek to understand and demonstrate the impact of environmental conditions and climate change on health and the value that urban green space will have in the future.
g. To encourage the creation of additional green spaces for the free use of the public within urban areas, the planting of additional trees, and the cultivation of private city gardens and allotments.
h. To advocate and support environmental policies that promote health.
i. To foster an active concern for the promotion of human rights and in particular the right of every citizen living in an urban environment to have free and continuing access to all existing areas of public urban green space that offer opportunities for rest, sport and recreation, and the right of all children in Europe to have access to an area of green space, within walking distance of their home, where they can play.
j. The group endorses the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Kyoto Protocol, the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.