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The Greenest Cities in the UK
Are you looking to make a city move in 2023, but aren’t fully sold on an urban jungle? In case you missed it, the first research of its kind was published in November last year, ranking the UK from its most to its least green cities.
The research, published in the scientific journal PLOS One and cited below, based what defines a city as ‘green’ on factors such as tree canopy coverage, vegetation, and area of parks. The study analysed 68 city centres, for the first time focusing on urban centres themselves without considering the surrounding suburban area.
The benefits of a city immersed in nature are numerous. A green city promotes mental and physical wellbeing, reduces both sound and air pollution, encourages local wildlife and biodiversity, and advances what the study calls ‘urban ecotourism’. In short, the natural beauty of a city can only help increase its appeal to potential visitors.
The study found the top five greenest cities to be Exeter, followed by Islington, Bristol, Bournemouth and Cambridge. Here, East Anglian removals company Hamiltons Removals identify the features which allowed the quintet to top this particular chart – and how we can help you move to all of them.
Exeter
Top city Exeter was found to have a tree coverage of 11.67% and a mean greenness (or, technically, mean Normalised Difference Vegetation Index or NDVI) of 0.15%. NDVI calculates the difference between vegetation and artificial land cover.
This is down to the large number of public parks (there are more than a dozen in and around this Devonian city), as well as important wildlife habitats and biodiversity sanctuaries.
Another contributing factor is the large number of trees planted around the University of Exeter’s main campuses. There are more than 10,000 in total, including pines, cypresses, elms and various coniferous trees.
Islington
Although this North London borough is one of the capital’s most densely populated, it also made the top five thanks again to its large number of public parks, including Highbury Fields, Islington Green and Paradise Park. It’s also part of the Trees for Streets scheme, and the borough’s council operates the Greener Together programme which provides funding for environmentally friendly projects.
Bristol
It’s perhaps not surprising that this south-western city scores so highly in the rankings, as it has some very impressive green credentials dating back a number of years. Bristol was named as the UK’s most sustainable city by the Forum for the Future charity in 2008, and in 2015 it received the European Green Capital Award. The environmental charities Sustrans (which champions sustainable transport), the Soil Association and the Centre for Sustainable Energy all have their UK bases in the city.
Bristol’s four principal central parks are Brandon Hill, College Green, Queen Square and Castle Park, but there are plenty of others on the outskirts of the city. And, like Islington, the local council has signed up to the Trees for Streets scheme.
Bournemouth
This resort city, like Bristol, also has an impressive track record when it comes to environmentally friendly living. It was named the UK’s Greenest City in the 2013 Vitality index, and it’s also a Fairtrade Town and (with its neighbour Poole) a Sustainable Food City and World’s first Sustainable Fish City. Bournemouth also boasts five Blue Flag beaches, as well as almost 2,500 acres of parks and gardens – covering a fifth of the entire borough. There are 17,000 trees lining the streets of the city, and another 30,000 in the borough’s parks and gardens.
Cambridge
Close to Hamiltons’ headquarters on the Norfolk/Suffolk border, the East Anglian city of Cambridge was found to have the second highest mean greenness, also of 0.15%. Major parks and gardens include Jesus Green, close to the college, and Parker’s Piece,
If you are interested in removals to Norwich, then our nearest city performed impressively as well, at a respectable 0.11%.
And the Not So Green Cities
At the other end of the spectrum are Glasgow (the least green), along with Middlesbrough, Sheffield, Liverpool and Leeds.
Perhaps the most important finding of the study was that the five greenest cities are all in the south of England, whereas the lowest scoring were all to be found in the north of the UK. The geographical divide is primarily due to the industrial background of many of the low-ranking northern cities.
Moreover, a correlation was found between ‘relative deprivation and level of green attributes’. This correlation suggests that affluence plays a role in the number of green spaces, particularly publicly accessible ones, a city possesses. Consequently, this means that the less affluent a city centre, the less likely its inhabitants are to benefit from an abundance of green spaces.
Lastly, the study likewise discovered a link between the size of a city and the level of green attributes. The results signalled that the larger the urban centre population and area, the fewer publicly accessible green spaces there are likely to be.
So for those looking for the thrill and vibrancy of city life, yet not willing to sacrifice the benefits of nature, Exeter, Islington, Bournemouth, Bristol and Cambridge are some of your best bets.
Sheffield does, however, deserve an honourable mention; despite their low ranking for overall greenness in an urban city centre, the level of greenness for the surrounding more suburban area was one of the largest. In fact, with the work currently being carried out within its centre, it is likely Sheffield might soon nudge its way into a top-five spot.
With it being estimated that almost 70% of the world’s population will be living in towns and cities by the year 2050, adding green spaces to city centres can only be a good move for us all!
East Anglian Removals Company Hamiltons Removals – Relocating You to All Parts of the UK
Whether you want to move to Exeter, Islington, Bristol, Bournemouth, Cambridgeshire or Norwich, Hamiltons Removals will be able to get you there. We can help with moves to all the cities, towns or villages wherever they are in the UK.
You can kick off the whole process with our free online removal quotes; we also offer video surveys if those are more convenient. And we also offer a number of optional extras, including packing and unpacking, insurance, as well as cleaning services. To learn more about our UK removals services, follow this link or call us on 01379 855203.
The Best Countries to Move to in 2023
There are signs that the international removals market is starting to thrive again after two years of uncertainty. Global media company Forbes expects demand to be more in line with pre-pandemic levels as coronavirus restrictions are eased and supply chains get back to normal, and the increase in working from home means fewer people are tied down to a conventional workspace.
Here Hamiltons Removals, an East Anglia removal firm, look at which countries are likely to be the most attractive to move to in the months ahead.
Switzerland
This European country (pictured above) tops the latest United Nations’ Human Development Index and also scores highly in the Gallup World Happiness Index. The former uses a variety of metrics such as healthcare and life expectancy, the cost of living, exports and imports, internet availability and crime rates, and the latter focuses more on what matters to individuals.
If you are interested in home moves to Switzerland, the country scores highly for health and life expectancy (82 years for men, and just under 86 for women). And, although the cost of living is high, so are salaries and the average wealth per person. The economy is also extremely sound (particularly in the financial services sector) and unemployment is extremely low.
Germany
This country makes the top 10 of the UN survey and also the US News and World Report’s annual survey, which surveyed more than 17,000 people around the world and uses 76 different indicators.
As with Switzerland, it scores highly on economic grounds. Both telecoms and tourism thrive here, and it is one of the economic powerhouses of the EU (along with France), so many people are interested in international removals to Germany for work reasons.
It also has an excellent public sector, particularly in health and education. More than 95% of the population has received some form of post-graduate schooling or university classes, which are all free.
The Netherlands
This country is in the top 10 of all three surveys and reports. Although it is quite densely populated, the Netherlands is a very tolerant country with liberal attitudes to same-sex marriage (it was the first country to legalise it) and LGBTQ+ rights. Political stability, a strong economy and excellent public healthcare and education services mean it’s an attractive country to move to.
Canada
This country scores highly in the US News survey, particularly for being a safe place to live. There is a strong, heavy-industry-based economy (including mining, oil, food and high-tech sectors) allied to a strong service sector.
If you are interested in removals to Canada, the report also notes, that like the Netherlands, it is a very progressive place to live. The country scores well on all environmental criteria and men and women are treated as legal equals.
New Zealand
This country makes the top 10 of both the US News report and the World Happiness Index. Although it has a strong economy, New Zealanders put great stress on a healthy work-life balance. This means they have plenty of sporting activities close at hand, as well as many national parks.
And, although you may not need it, healthcare in the country is either free or low-cost provided you have a work visa which is valid for two years or more. Like Canada, there is also no language barrier if you are moving from the UK.
Moving with Hamiltons Removals, an East Anglia Removal Firm
Here at Hamiltons Removals, we can help you with moves to Switzerland, Germany, the Netherlands, Canada and New Zealand.
They don’t have to be domestic moves either, as we can move your business too (and will be able to offer an excellent package if you want to move your employees as well). We can either offer a dedicated service, where you have the sole use of your own shipping container; a groupage option, where you share a container with other consignments, or we can send smaller items via air freight.
We can also pack your items for you and help you with any customs requirements, as well as transport them to your destination, and don’t worry if you have any large items such as vehicles or machinery, as we are highly experienced in moving these as well.
To kickstart the whole process, we offer video surveys and online quotes. You can also contact us directly on 01379 855203.