Latest news with #publicparks
The Guardian
4 days ago
- General
- The Guardian
Parks are for all, not just paying festivalgoers
Emma Warren, who is quoted in your article (What are public parks for? Inside the debate sparked by London festival row, 24 May), could not be more wrong when she says the Protect Brockwell Park campaign is about 'a small number of people trying to limit a larger number of people's access to space'. Parks are open to everyone, all year round, except during the weeks leading up to and during such festivals. For centuries, local parks have preserved the sanity of parents with young children, allowed children to meet each other and create play with the simplest of means, and permitted elderly people a break from the loneliness of being stuck at home. Parks need preserving because they are egalitarian and provide a meeting space that helps build communities. Very few object to short festivals that treat a park and the local community with respect. What we are seeing now is events companies preying on cash-strapped local authorities to get concert venues on the cheap, make a quick buck from large, prolonged events and move on, often leaving the park with extensive damage that takes months to repair. There is very little transparency as to what changes hands, how much money is actually made, what it is used for and how much the damage costs to fix. Years of savage local authority cutbacks have left parks with skeleton staffing, inadequate to produce the regeneration that these events necessitate. The effects can be cumulative and permanent. The chief executive of the Association of Independent Festivals says the local authority is 'a representation of the local community'. Well, he would say that, wouldn't he? Not many local people feel so PaceForest Hill, London The imposition of loud music on others is as unacceptable in public parks as it is from a phone on the bus or a speaker in the garden. The elementary social decency of not inflicting stressful noise on neighbours and fellow travellers is rapidly disintegrating. And public parks belong to all, not just the minority who want to attend pop KeelingWelling, Kent Have an opinion on anything you've read in the Guardian today? Please email us your letter and it will be considered for publication in our letters section.
Zawya
4 days ago
- Business
- Zawya
Dubai Municipality promotes PPP models for developing public parks
Dubai Municipality is exploring Public-Private Partnership (PPP) framework to develop high-quality public parks across the emirate in line with the Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plan and the city's Greenery Strategy, according to a press statement issued by the entity. Officials showcased Operate and Maintain (OM) agreements, Design–Build–Operate–Transfer (DBOT) structures, and event-based activations during a recent workshop organised in collaboration with Dubai Land Department on Thursday. Park archetypes presented at the workshop included destination parks, beach parks, residential parks, nature parks, and linear parks. (Editing by Anoop Menon) ( Subscribe to our Projects' PULSE newsletter that brings you trustworthy news, updates and insights on project activities, developments, and partnerships across sectors in the Middle East and Africa.
Zawya
4 days ago
- Business
- Zawya
Dubai Municipality and Dubai Land Department bring together leading developers
Workshop brings together major developers to explore partnership models for high-quality public parks. New park typologies and adaptable investment structures presented to align with community needs. Initiative supports Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plan and Greenery Strategy to enhance quality of life. Dubai, United Arab Emirates: Dubai Municipality, in collaboration with the Dubai Land Department, hosted the Developers Parks Collaboration Workshop, a strategic gathering aimed at accelerating partnerships with the private sector to deliver inclusive and high-quality parks across the emirate. The initiative aims to strengthen the social, health, and recreational aspects of public spaces by integrating daily activities and needs as a core part of residents' lives. The workshop welcomed senior executives from prominent real estate development companies to review new operational models that aim to develop and activate green public spaces, while opening new avenues of collaboration with the private sector. The workshop reflects Dubai Municipality's broader commitment to expanding cooperation with the private sector to enhance well-being and quality of life in the city, in line with its strategic objectives to make Dubai more beautiful, sustainable, and liveable every day. It also reflects the Dubai Land Department's efforts to deepen private-sector partnerships in support of the Dubai Real Estate Strategy 2033, which aims to make Dubai more sustainable and develop high-quality projects that enhance quality of life. Bader Anwahi, CEO of the Public Facilities Agency at Dubai Municipality, said: 'Dubai Municipality's vision is to be a pioneering municipality for a global city. Realising that vision means creating public spaces that reflect our ambition and meet the needs of our people. Today's workshop marks an important step toward co-creating a new generation of parks that are accessible, inclusive, dynamic, and sustainable, contributing to an elevated experience of well-being for all.' 'Developers are key to the future of Dubai's urban experience,' Bader Anwahi added. 'We are here not to prescribe, but to listen, to build mutual understanding and form strong partnerships with developers in public spaces, including parks and beaches, in ways that serve the city and its residents and generate mutual value for the private sector.' Anwahi also noted that Dubai Municipality is launching a new partnership-driven operating model that places community needs at the centre, relies on smart technologies, and provides broad opportunities for private-sector engagement across all phases of park development, emphasising content and diverse activities. Mohammed Ali Al Badwawi, Acting CEO of the Real Estate Regulatory Agency (RERA), said: 'This initiative reflects the spirit of collaboration that defines Dubai's development journey. Developers are not only investors — they are strategic partners in shaping the city's future. Through this workshop, we aim to build a shared platform where public and private sectors can work together to advance the goals of the Dubai Urban Master Plan 2040. At RERA and Dubai Land Department, we are committed to enabling this partnership through clear frameworks, supportive policies, and a unified vision for a more sustainable, inclusive, and liveable Dubai.' Workshop participants explored a series of adaptable collaboration frameworks, including Operate and Maintain (OM) agreements, Design–Build–Operate–Transfer (DBOT) structures, and event-based activations. Each model is designed to align with private-sector capabilities while unlocking long-term public value. In addition, Dubai Municipality presented a new set of defined park archetypes tailored to various urban contexts and community uses. These include destination parks, beach parks, residential parks, nature parks, and linear parks, forming a strategic blueprint for future green space development in line with the Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plan and the city's Greenery Strategy. Parks are an essential component of Dubai's long-term strategy to increase environmental sustainability, support biodiversity, and strengthen the city's public realm. Studies indicate that proximity to green space can increase real estate value by up to eight per cent, with the potential to generate more than AED 400 billion in long-term value appreciation. The workshop concluded with a panel discussion exploring areas of alignment between municipal goals and developer ambitions, laying the foundation for future co-investment opportunities that contribute to a thriving public realm. For media inquiries, please contact:
The Guardian
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
‘I honestly don't know what's going to happen next': Brockwell Park festival row ignites debate over public space
Public parks have been a cherished part of British life since the 19th century; for the Victorians they represented a 'commitment to cultivate public good within the public realm'. But differing interpretations of this vision for municipal green space are at the heart of a debate over a very 21st-century issue: music festivals. This week, the row over mass music gatherings in Brockwell Park, south London, has injected fresh impetus into some age-old questions: exactly what are public parks for, who should have access to them and for how long? On one side stand the thousands of festivalgoers who attend the events in south London. On the other is Protect Brockwell Park (PBP), the campaign group that counts celebrities such as Mark Rylance among their number and won a high court victory a week ago against Lambeth council whose decision to grant festival organisers use of the park was deemed 'irrational'. PBP's argument is one of proportion. Festivals are fine in principle, as long as there aren't too many. But their critics have questioned whether a small but powerful group should be able to limit the enjoyment of so many. The author Emma Warren who is attending City Splash at the park on bank holiday Monday, points out that the high court verdict came in the same week the supreme court ruled people have the legal right to wild camp on Dartmoor. 'This is being billed as the need for collective space versus protection of nature,' says Warren. 'But actually, I see it as part of a long-established pattern. This is about a small number of people trying to limit a larger number of people's access to space.' For Jen Hawkins of PBP, however, the ruling represents a much needed marker laid down. 'A few years ago they reached a kind of a happy medium whereby, yes, it annoyed a few people, but it was tolerable, and it wasn't fencing off people from their precious green space,' she says. 'I think this last year was a tipping point when the ground was completely trashed for the whole of spring and summer.' This weekend, thousands will attend the Mighty Hoopla festival in Brockwell Park, when Daniel Bedingfield will belt out his garage classic Gotta Get Thru This. On Saturday, the chorus might just carry a bit more weight than usual for organiser's whose resolve is being tested. The Brockwell Park row is already taking place against a backdrop of the rising costs of putting on events, which led a record 72 events being postponed, canceled, or folded in 2024 as ticket prices soared. Despite the challenges, the festivals persist. Wide Awake and the Mighty Hoopla are part of seven events taking place in Brockwell Park. Victoria Park in Tower Hamlets hosts All Points East and Lido; Gunnersbury Park welcomes several gigs including the Smashing Pumpkins, independent dance music festival Waterworks and Fearne Cotton's Happy Place festival; while Crystal Palace sees a series of concerts, including a sold out show by Deftones and Weezer. Hawkins insists PBP are not 'anti-festival'. The group would like to see the Brockwell Park dates moved to later in the year so the park is accessible in summer, an ecological assessment of the impact the events have and the introduction of 'fallow' years. John Rostron, the CEO of the Association of Independent Festivals, says organisers already have to meet a long list of requirements to get licences. 'You have to go through the local authority, which is a representation of the local community, to get a licence and meet all of the relevant health, safety, crime and disorder targets,' he says. 'You can do all of that work but it doesn't mean that every single person is going to be satisfied. We're giving a lot of air time to the handful that are dissatisfied.' 'Is it a nuisance to gather and listen to music together, or is it a nuisance to complain about that behaviour?' asks Warren. 'It strikes me that the idea that a small number of very opinionated and unelected people can stop collective and communal activity is very culturally specific. Globally, this is not normal.' The issue of who uses public spaces and for how long isn't limited to the capital: in Liverpool there is a live debate about Radio 1's Big Weekend taking over Sefton Park in the city this summer. PBP says their campaign is about holding Lambeth council to account and claiming back space from the big companies that own some festivals. The Mighty Hoopla was bought by Superstruct in 2023 whose parent company was in turn purchased last summer by the American private equity giants KKR and CVC. Some acts have pulled out of Field Day, citing KKR's holdings in Israel, while campaigners called for the event to 'publicly distance itself' from the investment firm. Mighty Hoopla put out its own statement, which said: ' … we wish to state our clear opposition to KKR's unethical investments.' Hawkins argues that only 'a tiny amount of money' is going back into the park, with the vast majority going to the companies. 'They're the real winners out of this,' she says. At present all the scheduled events will take place in Brockwell Park, starting with Wide Awake festival on Friday after the council submitted a new application, but more legal challenges could emerge as the summer progresses. 'I honestly do not know what's going to happen next,' says Hawkins. 'I'd like to think it really has set a precedent for future years, both for Brockwell Park and hopefully other public parks across the country, that councils can't misuse their planning powers and get away with it.' Donatus Anyanwu, a Lambeth councillor and cabinet member for stronger communities, said: 'Overall, we believe our events create an important cultural offer for our young and creative borough, while also enabling us to keep London's biggest free community festival, the Lambeth Country Show, as a free and safe event.'
National Post
22-05-2025
- Politics
- National Post
FIRST READING: Non-Indigenous visitors being turned away from B.C. public parks
Article content First Reading is a Canadian politics newsletter curated by the National Post's own Tristin Hopper. To get an early version sent directly to your inbox, sign up here. Article content Article content TOP STORY Article content In what critics say is a template of things to come, B.C. has begun closing public parks to non-Indigenous residents citing 'cultural concerns.' Article content This week, the B.C. government announced that Botanical Beach — a popular spot along the Juan de Fuca Marine Trail — would be closed for 24 hours over the May 24 weekend 'to provide time, space and privacy for members of the Pacheedaht First Nation to harvest marine resources and reconnect with an important part of their territory.' Article content Article content This follows on a series of similar closure of Joffre Lakes Provincial Park, one of the busiest recreational spots in the province. Article content Article content From April 25 until May 16, non-Indigenous usage of the park is banned, and 'more temporary closures are anticipated' reads an April 25 bulletin by B.C.'s Ministry of the Environment and Parks. Article content The closures are to 'provide time and space for members of the Líl̓wat Nation and N͛Quatqua to reconnect with the land and carry out cultural and spiritual practices,' it reads. Article content The first, in 2023, occurred when the nearby Líl̓wat and N'Quatqua First Nations unilaterally barred public access to the park for more than five weeks. Article content 'In this time of reconciliation, Lil'wat Nation and N'Quatqua First Nation are asserting our Title and Rights to our shared unceded territory to take this time to harvest and gather our resources within our territories,' read a statement telling the B.C. public they would be barred access to the park from Aug. 23 'until National Truth and Reconciliation Day' (Sept. 30). Article content Article content When the Joffre Lakes closure was given official government sanction in 2024, B.C. Environment Minister George Heyman notably stressed that the action would not be a template for future closures of parks to non-Indigenous users. Article content Article content 'There is no universal policy,' Heyman said at the time, adding that Joffre Lakes was only being closed because of a 'distinction-based approach.' Article content In a statement to National Post, the B.C. Ministry of Environment and Parks said 'these temporary closures represent a critical step forward on the path of reconciliation and an important building block for future conversations on shared stewardship, park management and access.' Article content In addition to the Botanical Beach and Joffre Lakes shutdowns, B.C. has also seen a series of federally run recreation areas closed to public usage, with authorities also citing cultural concerns.
