Green Spaces Issue
Increasing use through addressing
issues of conflict of interests in green
spaces
Guidance Paper No. 11
Judy Ling Wong OBE. Director BEN
The attitudes, interest and actions of
different groups of people come into
conflict at various times, resulting in
particular groups of people feeling that
they cannot use the space. In this
article, we will focus on some examples
of conflict and some possible solutions.
It also flags up actions, which
ameliorate the situations or pre-empt
them so that they may not occur.
A. Groups of real people competing for
the use of the same space, and in
conflict. This is the most obvious
scenario that comes to mind, e.g. groups
of young people of different ethnic
origin wanting to play football in a
space around the same time of day.
B. Notional presence or dominance of
the space because of the attitudes of
particular groups of people. Here the
people concerned may or may not be
present, but the fear or unpleasantness
caused by the probability of their
presence means that particular groups
will shy away from coming to the space,
e.g. the fear caused by the knowledge
that aggressive racists or local bullies
use a space.
C. Aspects of green spaces are
affected by others through the nature or
results of their actions or activities,
e.g. dog mess, or what dogs are allowed
to do is about dog walkers.
D. Using activities and events to
change the atmosphere of a green space,
change the relationships between groups
and individuals, and promote use by
vulnerable people
Territorial disputes
“With so many different groups
using the space, Calthorpe Gardens has to
try to be all things to all people. There
have been territorial disputes in the
past, but architect Robert Bishop has put
some thought into sharpening the
definition of spaces within the garden in
order to accommodate multiple
functions.”
Calthorpe Gardens. London - BEN Green
Space of the Month - March 2004
“We would like to see designated
picnic areas and sports pitches in
parks.”
Concrete to Coriander - Bangladeshi
women's gardening group
Actions:
• Designing distinct areas for
a range of different activities can help
to reduce conflict
• Designating areas for
specific activity can help to avoid
conflict
Nuisance and
threat
“Ethnic minorities are not using
green spaces very much because of
concerns about safety and security. In
the Sikh community, parents go with
children to play areas. They would like
to let them go unsupervised but it is not
safe. There is too much litter and
vandalism. People are afraid of exposing
their children to the risk of
racism.”
“Kenyan family I met 10 years ago
would have liked simply to go to Sefton
Park, but they felt unsafe to do
so.” Liverpool Black and Ethnic
Minority Forum
“Vandalism is a problem, and fear
of racist attacks. People are afraid of
bullying, mugging and crime.” Nottingham
Sikh Women's group
“No drug dealers, security guards
in all the parks, like they have in the
Palm House in Sefton Park.”
“We would
prefer it if parks and green spaces were
safe and clean, free of litter. Some
parks have been improved but many still
need attention...."
“A green space should be a safe
place for children to play. We need to
protect our children from bad
people”.
Pepys Community Forum
Action:
• People are put off using
spaces when there has been negative
experiences. Anticipation of a repeat of
these experiences can make them give up
using green spaces altogether. It is
important to consult and discover what
these are.
• Address local racism and
other threats from people such as drug
dealers or local bullies in partnership
with appropriate agencies including for
example local community groups, the
police e, social services, and youth
services
• Women and children feel
particularly vulnerable unless green
spaces are properly designed and
maintained with good safety features
• Work with organisations
specializing in dealing with litter and
vandalism, for example,Tidy Britain
Campaign, community wardens, or community
police. The presence of litter is not
only about untidiness and dirtiness. It
is also associated with the feeling that
there are a lot of irresponsible people
around. It adds to feelings of threat.
• The presence of park or
green space warden, who may be trained
volunteers, are very reassuring
Access routes to green spaces
“People feel exposed, we need
improved approach roads, better access,
lights, no cars....” Liverpool
Black and Ethnic Minority Forum
“I wouldn't go to green spaces
alone, wouldn't go at night.”
"There are
dense bushes and dark corners where
problems may lurk. These need to be
addressed urgently. There could be more
attractive features like footpaths,
way-markers, benches, colourful blossom
trees. There could also be better safety
features such as fences and gates,
security cameras at car parks more /
better bins.”
• Consult local people re
their feelings about the way they get to
green spaces and work with the Local
Authority and other relevant
organisations such as Reclaim the Streets
to ensure that key approaches to a green
space are pleasant and safe.
• Work with the local police
and other relevant organisations if there
are feelings of threat from racists, drug
dealers etc.
• Invest in good design
Dog-walkers, dogs and dog mess
“Dogs not on leads”
“Getting hands filthy in the
muck”
Barnhill Childcare Centre, Moss
Side, Manchester
“Some families have commented
that they would love to use the secluded,
natural areas for prayers, but they would
be concerned about, for instance,
encountering dog-walkers or the evidence
of them. Issues such as this would need
to be addressed if the community park
truly wants to become a resource for
all.”
Rose Hill Quarry, BEN Green Space of
the Month, January 2004
Actions:
• Although dog walking is
often listed as a green space activity by
participants of BEN focus groups, when
asked “what puts you off using and
caring for green spaces”, one of the
most frequent responses from ethnic
community groups are around dogs. Some
Muslims avoid the possibility of contact
with dogs because they believe they are
unclean.
• People feel unsafe in terms
of health if places are dirty. For sheer
reasons of hygiene, it is desirable that
there should be areas of green spaces
fenced off so that they are free of dogs.
Many European parks do this, as part of
the awareness that diseases can be picked
up from dog mess, and that people, in
particular parents with young children
want to sit on and play on the grass.
• Working with dog owners to
eliminate dog mess is something that
everyone wants.
• Areas can be negotiated with
dog owners to designate them as places in
which dogs may run free. This has
benefits for many people, but especially
for local Muslims who feel unable to use
a space because dogs run free over the
entire space.
Activity
provision and different areas to do them
in
“Group
activities are good, because women and
children may feel unsafe to out alone,
but if you go together, you can enjoy the
company and support.”
Nottingham Sikh Women's focus group
“There
needs to be a wide range of activities on
offer to suit different types of people
within the community – for instance
older people may have different interests
and needs than young people. We need more
choice.”
“We would
like to see more attractions and
activities in green spaces, to keep
children from getting bored, things for
people to see and do such as poetry,
dancing (traditional Sikh dances and
English country dancing), horse riding,
martial arts, fruit picking.”
Nottingham Sikh Women's focus group
“A lot of problems are caused
where play facilities are restricted to
younger age groups, children 10-18 age
group are not catered for. There is a
need for adventure play ground, skate
park, go-karting etc, but we meet local
opposition and council resistance.”
Liverpool Black and Ethnic Minority
Forum
Action:
• Work with local community
groups and organising, publicizing or
encouraging group activities is important
for individuals who feel
vulnerable..Green spaces are very
important for women with pre-school age
children as somewhere to go during the
day. At the Liverpool BEM Forum, people
gave examples of activities that they had
seen in other cities – New York's
Central Park, parks in Paris, play areas
in Amsterdam – where the spaces are
well used by many people doing various
pastimes, so it feels safer e.g. boules,
chess, boating, arts projects,
educational activities, circus.
• Events enable many people to
use green space in a community
atmosphere. Sometimes it is easier for
individuals and groups new to a space to
be introduced to it through an event.
• Appropriate activities for
different age groups, and for different
needs and wishes are important, in order
to avoid clashes between youths and older
people, or between children of different
ages
Culturally relevant activities and
features
“We would
like to do more horse riding, because
that links to our heritage. The guru
fought on horseback, and his devotees
would donate the best quality horses.
Young people would learn to fight with
sticks and swords, first on foot and then
on horseback.”
Nottingham Sikh Women's focus group
“Festivals such as Mardi Gras,
help make people from different
communities feel welcome.”
“The waterfront in Liverpool is
seen as a particularly democratic /
multi-cultural space, although the
Chinese and Japanese gardens have been
removed.”
Liverpool Black and Ethnic Minority
Forum
“What would encourage us to
become more involved? Cultural relevance,
for example a mandala or plants from
different countries – like at the
Eden Project.”
Pepys Community Forum
Action:
• Culturally relevant
activities and features bring meaning and
engagement with green space.
• Green space managers need to
be aware of how spaces are perceived and
therefore their potential role in the
recognition of cultural identity.
Increasing provision through
attention to new activities and creating
new spaces
"Before the improvements, the Al
Hilal Muslim Community Centre garden was
unfenced and used as a short cut by
people passing through the area. It
suffered a lack of sense of ownership.
Once it was fenced, the community began
to take responsibility for picking up
litter and watering plants. It became
worthwhile for people to volunteer, as
they could see progress resulting from
their efforts. But it was very hard to
get initial funding for the project, as
it was seen as exclusively for the Muslim
community. However, the benefit to the
wider community is noticeable now, as
there is a significant visual improvement
to the appearance of the whole
area." Al Hilal Muslim Community
Centre. Manchester
“Some people support us, some
oppose us. It can be demoralizing. We
need respect and support, acknowledgement
for our contribution, not to feel
sidelined. Listening and responding to
our comments increases our zeal.”
Pepys Community Forum
“We have
planted an orchard of fruit trees and we
are looking forward to when they mature
and bear fruit, so that people can come
and pick the fruit.”
Nottingham Sikh Women's focus group
Action:
• Smaller green spaces cannot
solve their problems of activitiy
provision by trying to provide a full
range of activities and different spaces
for them because they are limited by
their size. Therefore overall local needs
can only be addressed through a network
of different local spaces doing different
things. Local green spaces should work
with each other to address the range of
activities and types of spaces needed.
• Communities need support to
help them have a new vision to take up
opportunities to transform unused open
spaces and take responsibility for plots
of land given to their care.
• The views of local people,
in relation to their needs, should be
represented to those in power, including
local councils. The Community Strategy is
a vehicle for this.
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Guidance Paper 11
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