Urban Greenspace, Climate Adaptation and Health Co-Benefits: Municipal Policy and Practice in London

Climate change poses a significant threat to human health and wellbeing, yet its health impacts can be mitigated through effective local action. Green spaces offer numerous climate benefits to cities, including improving air quality, water management and providing local cooling effects, with subsequent health benefits. Despite such benefits, the current municipal policy and practice faces challenges in aligning climate, health and greenspace interventions on the ground. This paper looks at the municipal evidence base in London. Employing a policy-engaged approach, it draws on semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions with London boroughs to unpack what greenspace indicators are measured and why; what feeds into municipal evaluation frameworks; and how greenspace, climate adaptation and health are integrated across London's municipalities. The findings reveal limited and fragmented approaches to measuring the multiple benefits of greenspace interventions, with weak links to climate and health outcomes, and little policy alignment at the municipal level. This has broader implications for data-driven governance models pursued by cities worldwide and for integrating greenspace-climate-health policy and practice within the spatial and political context of cities. The paper concludes by summarising research findings, presenting policy recommendations and highlighting areas of future research.