Around the world there are a few urban national parks inside and beside cities. The London National Park City will be the first to include an entire city.
This timeline shares where we have come from and what is happening next.
August 2019
Launch year
The London National Park City launch year begins. Everyone is invited to get involved.
July 2019
The London National Park City Festival runs from 20-28 July 2019 and will mark London becoming a National Park City and celebrate London’s amazing outdoors. Working with the Mayor of London, it will be a celebration of London's outdoor spaces involving a broad range of activities, from culture and health and fitness to wildlife and the environment. With a mix of key and community evenets, organisations and businesses are encouraged to get involved.
March 2019
Our successful crowdfunding campaign to create, publish and distribute National Park City Maker, a newspaper-sized guide to making London life greener, healthier, wilder and better in so many ways. National Park City Maker will provide the inspiration and advice needed to start transforming the city we know and love.
July 2018
Organised by the Mayor of London, nearly 300 events will take place across the capital for the National Park City Week.
March 2018
It is announced London will become a National Park City in 2019 following confirmation that the majority of the city’s locally elected politicians and the Mayor of London had declared their support.
2017
Campaigners work hard to secure support from politicians across the capital by writing emails, organising events and giving talks. Regular open meetings are held in central London to help maintain and grow momentum. By the end of the year more than 1,000 local politicians from each of the main political parties have given their support.
2016
All of the leading candidates to become Mayor of London announce their support for London to become a National Park City. More than 1,000 people attend “Let’s make London a National Park City” at Southbank Centre.
2015
Over 600 people attend a major event at Southbank Centre and are invited to ask “What if we made London a National Park City?” A consultation follows, and an independent poll reveals 9 in 10 Londoners support the idea of a London National Park City. 347 individuals and organisations then contribute towards a crowdfunded and collaboratively written proposal for the “Greater London National Park City”. A further consultation follows. The National Park City movement grows, with people across the capital asking their local politicians to back the proposal.
2014
The campaign to make London a National Park City begins with a simple co-created website acting as a guide to the Greater London National Park* - “*Officially only a notional park”. The Royal Borough of Kingston is the first council to properly support the idea, followed shortly afterwards by Ealing and Sutton.
2013
Daniel Raven-Ellison asks “what if we made London a National Park City?” after wondering why an urban landscape is not included within the family of national parks.
2012
The All London Green Grid is published to protect, conserve and enhance London’s network of green and open natural and cultural spaces.
2010
The South Downs is confirmed as Britain’s newest National Park.
2002
A Biodiversity Strategy for London is developed by the Greater London Authority.1995
Royal National City Park, the world’s first national urban park, is created inside Stockholm.1988
Broads Authority gains equivalent national park status by a special Act of Parliament1984
National Heritage Areas start to be designated in the US by Congress.1981
London Wildlife Trust formed.1977
Council for National Parks (CNP), now called the Campaign for National Parks, is formed.1966
Colne Valley Regional Park established.1963
Singapore’s Garden City journey begins.1961
Tijuca Forest National Park, a large urban forest, in Rio de Janeiro is formed.1957
Brecon Beacons confirmed as a National Park1956
Northumberland confirmed as a National Park1955
Green Belt started to be identified1954
Yorkshire Dales and Exmoor confirmed as National Parks1952
Pembrokeshire Coast and North York Moors confirmed as National Parks1951
The Peak District, Lake District, Snowdonia and Dartmoor confirmed as National Parks1950
The Peak District is designated as the UK’s first National Park1948
NHS is founded.1947
Town & Country Planning Act starts to control development1932
Mass trespass on Kinder Scout in the Peak District1931
UK Government inquiry recommends the creation of a national park authority1911
Parks Canada becomes the world's first national service dedicated to protecting and presenting natural and historical treasures1902
The Selborne Society establishes Perivale Woods nature reserve in Ealing, London1895
National Trust founded1889
The Society for the Protection of Birds (SPB), founded by Emily Williamson at her home in Manchester in 1889. The group quickly gained popularity and in 1891 it merged with the Fur, Fin and Feather Folk, to form a larger and stronger SPB, based in London.1879
Australia's Royal National Park was the world's third official national park1878
The Corporation of London acquired legal power to bring other land into its ownership for the benefit of Londoners1875
The first area to use "national park" in its creation legislation was the US's Mackinac Island1872
Yellowstone National Park founded (but not called a national park at that point)1865
Commons Preservation Society (now Open Spaces Society) founded1860
Campaigns begin that lead to the protection of Wimbledon Common, Epping Forest and Hampstead Heath.1824
RSPCA is founded1770
London’s oldest living London Planes planted875
King Alfred the Great ordered the draining of Walthamstow Marshes in east London45
About this time, nobody knows when, the Totteridge Yew (London’s oldest living tree) starts growing.43
The Romans found Londinium.120,000 years ago
Hippos and lions are hanging out where Trafalgar Square is today.