Parklife Ipswich Citizen Project
This September, we’re launching ‘Parklife Ipswich’, an independent, creative, citizen-led project. A new story for Ipswich. Told by all of us.
ParklifeIpswich.co.uk
Through a new website and Instagram account (@ParkLifeIpswich), we will encourage people to share their stories, photos, ideas, and artwork… anything that shows how we live our lives in our parks and why they matter to all of us.
Ipswich measures aprox 10,240 acres. We benefit from 28 public parks and open spaces, 500 hectares (1235 acres) of green space and wildlife habitats in total and multiple Green Flag Awards for our parks across the town. We’re also a Tree City of the World, for three years running. But the real story isn’t in the numbers, they’re where life happens, everyday.
We’re challenging residents and visitors to visit as many parks as they can! To make it easy, we’ve added all our Parks and Green Spaces to Google Maps: View the map And people can download a Tick Sheet to track your progress as you explore.
Parks are for people. Open. Welcoming. Democratic. At a time when so many feel divided, Ipswich’s green spaces bring us together. Our 16th-century motto says it best: ‘Munia Civitatis Decus Civium’. We translate this to mean “The Strength of Ipswich Lies in its Citizens.” It’s the idea of citizenship that particularly interests us, how we belong, how we share space and how we look after the places that look after us.
ParkLife Ipswich is a non-commercial and citizen-led project. It’s not tied to any official campaign or authority. It’s a creative project because we believe creativity can change how we see the world, and how the world sees us.
Some say you can’t build revenue in parks. We disagree.
A town known for its green spaces shapes how people see it; as a great place to live, work and spend time. Parks aren’t just “nice to have.” They pull people back into town. They encourage connection, footfall (football!) and opportunity for local businesses. They boost reputation and attract visitors. We believe parks are central to Ipswich’s story, our community and our future.
Contributor or Task Force?
This is not a WHAT associates Ltd project, Tim and I are kicking this off, but this is just the beginning. We want to get more people involved. This would be more than just contributing; it’s about guiding, co-creating and shaping the project together from day one. Interested? We’d love to hear from you.
School, college, university or community group?
This is an opportunity to explore creativity, citizenship and Ipswich’s parks in a hands-on, cross-curricular way. If this interests you, please get in touch.
Thank you to everyone with whom we’ve been sharing our thoughts and ideas, we’re very grateful for your support and feedback. We know this is a work in progress, and we’re happy to take guidance and evolve the project together.
Who’s in?
