29th October 2020
The Galway National Park City (GNPC) is a new pioneering initiative that is designed to make urban landscapes more healthier, sustainable, harmonious, beautiful, equitable with biodiversity-rich environments of quality green and blue spaces where people value, benefit from, and are strongly connected to the rest of Nature.
The designation was formally launched last year by the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan when the capital of England and of the United Kingdom became the first city in the world to claim this status. Check out https://www.nationalparkcity.london/
President of Ireland Michael D. Higgins has kindly agreed to act as patron for the National Park City for Galway initiative.
Duncan Stewart, the renowned environmentalist and media personality, has agreed to become its national champion.
Kathryn Tierney of the Co-ordination, Inter-institutional Relations and Planning Unit (A.1), Directorate-General Environment (DG ENV) has agreed to become its European Champion.
Supporters of this designation want everyone living and working in Galway to feel part of, contribute towards and feel a personal sense of pride and ownership in this initiative. Hence, to help facilitate this process, a series of local champions are been appointed representing a large cross section of backgrounds, professions and sectors of Galway society including education, community, health, medical, arts, environment, youth, direct provision, science, engineering, corporate business, small business, crafts, residential neighbourhoods, marine, waterways protection, renewable energies, cycling advocacy, walking advocacy, media, architecture, heritage, animal welfare and urban farming. Each of these individuals have in their own professional and volunteering fields been undertaking incredible work, often for many years, to enhance and care for the city’s unique natural heritage and to help others to benefit from it. Much of their activities often takes place without the wider general public being aware of it.
The National Park City initiative will help join up and promote their work, provide a city-wide approach and inspire others from all of the different sectors to follow suit.
https://www.advertiser.ie/galway/article/117965/national-park-city-a-game-changer-for-galway