Environmentalism is embedded in those of us who live, work, and play in Santa Barbara. The threats, battles, and struggles to protect and restore our natural treasures are never ending. A dream of some of us, however, is to have our city become a National Park City (NPC). What is this? It is a city that makes a fundamental commitment to sustainability, biodiversity, and equitable access to green spaces.
The global NPC movement, launched in 2019, started in Britain with London becoming the first certified NPC. London may seem like a strange poster child, but there are 3,000 parks within its limits, and half of its surface area is green space — gardens, forests, ponds, wetlands, and rivers. It is home to 14,000 species of wildlife, many of which live in the 3.8 million gardens in the city.
In May of this year, the Dutch city of Breda became the first European Union city to earn the NPC designation. Its population is roughly equivalent to that of our South Coast region. It has been engaged for a decade in complementing its cobblestone streets and centuries-old canals with nature reserves, restored wetlands, urban gardens, and canal-side greenery. Thoughtful design and planning have prioritized canopy trees and other vegetation, reduced concrete, and returned to natural water flows as part of its infrastructure. Interestingly, the citizenry as much as city leadership is transforming it into a greener, healthier, and wilder place. The locals believe that nature belongs in every neighborhood. Schools are planting and caring for rooftop gardens and tiny forests. They talk about Breda being in a park rather than being a city with parks in it. Sixty percent of its area is green space. They are seeking nature-based solutions to improve livability and manage climate risks such as flooding and extreme heat.
Chattanooga, Tennessee, is the first city in the U.S. to gain the NPC distinction. In 1969, it was ranked as the most polluted city in the country. Since then, it has worked to clean up the Tennessee River and establish 13 miles of park and riverwalk along its banks. In addition to its efforts to revitalize wildlife habitat and make it easier for people and wildlife to coexist, it has, as part of its equity program, given away hundreds of refurbished bicycles, 800 in 2024 alone. To address past injustices, it has returned 76 acres to the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.
There is a worldwide network of ideas, optimism, knowledge, and ways to make nature a core part of urban life. This movement involves dozens of cities, some already NPC certified, and others working with nature to mitigate climate impacts and improve the well-being of their inhabitants. Santa Barbara has a strong history of cherishing, protecting, and restoring our natural landscape. Building on this framework and creating a consensus citywide to bring more nature into every neighborhood and make it accessible to all would make us even healthier, happier, more resilient, and perhaps enable us to achieve NPC certification.
