Urban Green Space Policy and Discourse in England under New Labour from 1997 to 2010

Urban green space, although an important aspect of urban life in England since the 19th century, experienced declining quality throughout the late 20th century. The election of the New Labour Government in 1997 saw the development of a new urban policy discourse, which recognized the important contribution of green space to quality of life. This paper examines New Labour's policy measures on urban green space and focuses on the Urban White Paper of 2000, new funding opportunities, planning guidance, changing urban green space governance and the introduction of national and local performance targets. Additionally, it identifies four broad policy discourses surrounding urban green space that reflect different but overlapping understandings of the value and function of urban green space relating to quantity, quality, nature/biodiversity and social/community. The paper concludes that there is a need for further research to examine the implications of changes in the national policy agenda and associated policy discourses for the planning, management and governance of urban green space at the local level. This will also enable a more in-depth analysis and understanding of the four policy discourses identified and provide a platform from which to assess future changes in green space policy and management.