Enjoying the outdoors is essential for our wellbeing. Ending a busy day with some fresh air - whether it’s stepping into your garden for five minutes or heading to a city or national park - can leave us feeling refreshed and relaxed.
This applies to children as well. Over 5 million parents in the UK report that their children have no access to outdoor play areas or nature spaces within safe walking distance of their homes, contributing to a decline in outdoor play.
As a result, there's a growing desire for more green space: 33% of Brits say they'd be attracted to a new home with access to it, and 44% admit to feeling envious of those who live near parks or green areas.
Why is outdoor space important?
As time goes on, more people are living in urban areas with high-rise buildings and limited access to private gardens or nearby public green spaces. It's estimated that over half of the world’s population - around 4.4 billion people - now lives in cities.
It's well known that spending time outdoors can help reduce stress, anxiety, and depression. Without access to green spaces, people may have fewer opportunities for outdoor activities such as running or playing team sports.
The power of green spaces
NHS Charities found that people who spend 20 hours or more per week in a green or natural space are 41% more productive on an average day than those who spend less than 30 minutes a week outside.
With outdoor space being pivotal to your mental health, some are even looking to make their gardens as comfortable as possible by implementing composite decking or surrounding the area with composite fencing.
The UK’s Greenest Towns and Cities
Eurocell has set out to discover which UK towns and cities have the best access to green space.
To do this, we’ve looked at several data points, including the number of homes in each city with a private garden, the average square footage of that garden, as well as the average distance to public green space and the percentage of homes on the market that are currently listed as having a private garden. These figures were then given a score out of 10 and ranked, leading to a total score out of 40.
The top 20 cities in the UK for outdoor space
Mansfield in Nottinghamshire comes out on top as the best place to live in the UK for access to green space. Surrounded by well-known parks, Mansfield is close to Sherwood Forest, famous for its woodlands, greenery, and legendary links to Robin Hood.
Among the data analysed, Mansfield ranks highly for being just over 280 metres away from the nearest park, with up to 93% of houses and flats with gardens.
Telford town in Shropshire takes second place. Made up of woodlands, parks, community orchards and private gardens, residents have plenty of opportunities to bask in green spaces.
Last year’s Green Giants research revealed Chesterfield as the number one spot. However, it has now dropped to third place, partly due to the reduced number of houses for sale, which impacted its overall score.
The bottom 20 cities in the UK for outdoor space
| Position | City | Total % of homes & flats with private outdoor space | Average size of private outdoor space (m2) | Average distance to nearest park, public garden or playing field (m) | The ratio of houses for sale currently, compared to number of houses for sale with garden | Total Index Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100 | Salford | 82% | 165.8 | 317.65 | 30.98% | 27.7 |
| 99 | Manchester | 79% | 143.1 | 320.83 | 49.73% | 28.6 |
| 98 | Aberdeen | 82% | 284 | 459.29 | 58.61% | 35.0 |
| 97 | Slough | 81% | 177.2 | 315.75 | 59.40% | 37.6 |
| 96 | Portsmouth | 86% | 115.9 | 380.74 | 65.75% | 37.9 |
| 95 | Southend-on-Sea | 86% | 228.2 | 495.88 | 69.34% | 38.0 |
| 94 | Watford | 77% | 209.4 | 269.78 | 63.58% | 39.1 |
| 93 | Southampton | 83% | 193.2 | 349.6 | 64.32% | 40.7 |
| 92 | Liverpool | 84% | 140.2 | 275.49 | 56.81% | 41.4 |
| 91 | Glasgow | 81% | 215.1 | 338 | 70.45% | 42.4 |
| 90 | Norwich | 82% | 207.6 | 339.48 | 76.18% | 45.3 |
| 89 | Birmingham | 86% | 226.9 | 371.07 | 66.34% | 46.2 |
| 88 | Luton | 87% | 199.5 | 351.68 | 67.43% | 47.6 |
| 87 | Eastbourne | 86% | 232.7 | 361.23 | 67.44% | 47.7 |
| 86 | Cambridge | 82% | 226.8 | 307.15 | 73.02% | 47.8 |
| 85 | Preston | 88% | 225.7 | 407.02 | 72.10% | 48.3 |
| 84 | Reading | 86% | 226 | 355.09 | 69.91% | 48.6 |
| 83 | Bristol | 84% | 178.6 | 276.19 | 70.22% | 48.7 |
| 82 | Coventry | 85% | 185.7 | 341.68 | 80.93% | 49.6 |
| 81 | Stevenage | 87% | 174.2 | 326.72 | 72.65% | 49.7 |
The bottom three cities in the UK for green space are Salford, Manchester and Aberdeen.
Residents in Salford, a city in Greater Manchester, may not find it as easy to access green spaces. Surrounded by high-rise buildings and flats, the area is more limited when it comes to seeking out parks and greenery.
Just a short walk from Salford, Manchester takes the 99th spot. Like Salford, it's often described as a concrete jungle, with limited access to green spaces - outdoor space coverage in the UK stands at 79%. Homes in Manchester also have some of the smallest gardens, averaging just 143 square metres - roughly half the size of a tennis court.
While Manchester does offer several urban parks, such as Heaton Park, many residents live in apartments, and the shortage of affordable housing means that access to nearby green space can still be a challenge for many.
In Aberdeen, residents may face an even greater challenge, with the average distance to the nearest park being over 450 metres despite being close to the Highlands.
Due to the high number of flats in the city, only 58% of new property listings in Aberdeen include private outdoor space. That said, those lucky enough to have a private garden benefit from an average size of over 200 square metres - double the size of a typical UK garden.
Beth Boulton, marketing director at Eurocell, said:
“Having easy access to outdoor space should be a given for everyone, as it's hugely important for our health and wellbeing.
“For many homebuyers, having a garden is non-negotiable. But as the research shows, options are becoming more limited due to the rise in flat developments across UK cities.
“A garden can be a safe haven for homeowners, and during the summer months, it's often where people spend most of their time. We've seen a growing trend of homeowners expanding their space with garden rooms. In most cases, planning permission isn’t required, making them a practical solution for adding both living space and potential value when it comes time to sell the property.”
Methodology
To create this data, Eurocell used garden and green space figures from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) and extrapolated data from properties currently advertised on Rightmove for each of the top 100 cities in the UK by population (excluding London). These figures were then ranked, and given a weighted score out of 100.
The top 100 UK cities by population were taken from World Population Review.
Data correct as of February 2024.