Geography in practice: access to green and blue spaces

• This session presented the work behind developing data to support the government’s 15-minute commitment - which ensures that everyone has access to a blue or green spaces within a 15-minute from their home
• Speakers emphasised the importance of clearly defining the key metrics underpinning the commitment, particularly what qualifies as a green or blue space
• To support the analysis, the presenters developed a working definition which categorises spaces at doorstep, local and neighbourhood levels, using criteria such as minimum size, maximum distance and maximum journey times
• The webinar introduced a mapping methodology that links households, road networks and access points to green and blue spaces. A shortest-path analysis was then used to calculate the distance between individual households and the nearest accessible green or blue space. This approach identifies the shortest route available across the network from each household to an access point of a green or blue space
• The data developed provides an overview of households and their access to blue and green spaces across England, offered at both LSOA and MSOA level - mapping how access is distributed across different areas
• Speakers outlined the headline figures which found that 80% of households in England has access to either a green or blue space within a 15-minute walk of their home, with higher figures shown across rural areas at the neighbourhood level

Please note: The views of our speakers do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Royal Geographical Society.

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