Economic Value

Natural greenspaces can increase property values, reduce management overheads, and reduce healthcare costs.

• Property values – Street trees and views of natural landscapes and waterways can increase property values by between 6% and 18%, as well as helping to sustain values over the long-term and improving the image of difficult to develop brownfield sites, as demonstrated by Greenwich Millennium Village’s ecology park. Shoppers may also be willing to pay up to 10% more to shop in tree-lined streets.
  
• Management costs – Traditionally our greenspaces have been intensively managed, requiring significant and costly inputs of nutrients, herbicides and pesticides. Experience has shown that ecologically self-sustaining landscapes can significantly reduce the need for these inputs.