Reflection: Julie Procter, CEO of greenspace scotland

Adil Iqbal, Remembering Together’s storytelling associate, reflects on his chat with Julie Procter who has been leading greenspace scotland since 2002. During the lockdowns greenspaces were a lifeline for many, a sanctuary, and provided solace for local people. We discuss the pandemic and its impact on greenspaces in Scotland and how, in turn, the use of greenspaces has informed our understanding of the pandemic.  

The pandemic shone a light on the importance of greenspaces within Scotland, as neighbourhood bonds within communities were strengthened and the outdoor became a vessel to humanise how we care about each other and our planet. Nevertheless, it also revealed the inequalities and barriers that have existed long before the Covid pandemic revealed them.

Julie tells me that during the height of the pandemic, greenspace scotland was able to source emergency funds to work with local authorities on how to manage parks safely and to increase use of outdoor spaces by taking indoor activities outside and create spaces to meet the needs of local people. The aim was to nurture relationships between schools and communities and their outdoor spaces which can have positive impact on our  mental and physical well-being.

My chat with Julie also highlighted that although countless people have been using greenspaces, there is a significant population in Scotland who have not been using them, usually those from areas experiencing social and economic challenges, global majority communities and other marginalised groups. Many outdoor spaces available to those of us living in places with less investment and infrastructure are of poor quality and fail to attract those that live near them. Julie notes that 1 in 8 people in Scotland do not have access to private or shared gardens,  a third of children do not have access to private gardens and of those without gardens, many are not using any public spaces either.

Julie believes in the central role of community placemaking within greenspaces and how informal conversations can elicit unconventional viewpoints on understanding the character of how a space should be. By bringing people together from wider groups, we can unpick the entanglements of what is relevant to our community.  She reflected on the success of the Young Placechangers project, which allowed the richness of views and inspiration from young people to be directly channelled into improving the places they live in.

“Young people are the citizens of the future and their insights can have transformative impact on the development of greenspaces, imagine what can be achieved if further voices are activated”

The arts are another powerful way of cultivating public spaces: our environments can change the way we feel and creative placemaking can bring more imaginative spaces into our day to day lives. Julie indicated the power of co-creation, and the essential role of the artist who, with the right support, can often be well placed to connect and understand the richness and diversity of issues affecting local people and communities. Often our social and political systems and processes that are put in place are not welcoming or engaging, hence the process of co-creation can provide a nuanced perspective on the barriers that exist for many of us.  This dynamic way of working can provide new insights into experiences of local communities and create awareness amongst locals that they have the power to challenge the status quo. A great example of this kind of work is that of Remembering Together artists Paul Brunton and Eileen Frater appointed in East Ayrshire who are working with local schools through creative dialogue in greenspaces to consider what a locally driven memorial for the area could be.

The urgency of environmental justice and climate change shows that the paradigm is shifting but we need fresh perspectives.  Since there is gap between policy, aspiration of communities and what happens on the ground, Julie emphasised pioneering new and innovative approaches to address climate change. She mentioned the role of greenspaces in climate mitigation and adaptation. In Remembering Together we are sharing these kinds of practices with our network, thinking about how rewilding space might be part of a memorial.

“When we start to think and do things differently you can move towards strengthening climate resilience” 

We all witnessed how important greenspaces were during the pandemic, and the effect of good quality greenspace on our collective wellbeing has been proven many times. Remembering Together is a place of reflection on the Covid pandemic and while lockdowns might be behind us, the crucial need that we have for spending time in natural spaces with trees, flowers, grass and each other remains. It’s on us to make sure that we keep investing in these spaces and one way we are making sure that this happens is by bringing communities together to remember together in the greenspaces we are so fortunate to have.