What makes a quality park or open space

Parks should support a range of activities. From play spaces for children, facilities for teenagers, sports and aimed at visitors to the city to just a safe environment to spend time in.

There should be areas devoted to nature and wildlife and places for contemplation and reflection. And they should be able to host events

What makes a quality park or open space is its character.

Pathways and hard landscape features should make the best use of space and be complimented by a well stocked and diverse range of soft landscaping - a varied and appropriate mix of plants - as part of a good balance between natural, amenity and recreational elements.

Visitors should feel comfortable in the surroundings. To achieve a safe environment there should be no areas of poor visibility or entrapment points which increase the feeling of vulnerability.

The main entrance should be easily defined, well-maintained and inviting with good signage and there should be clearly defined and well maintained boundaries, hedges, fencing, gates etc.

Roads, paths and cycle routes should be made up of suitable materials with edges should be well defined, surfaces clean and provide good disabled access in most areas.

Our parks and green spaces should feature:

• soft landscape features, maintained to a reasonable standard
• grass areas, with a cleanly cut finish and generally good coverage with no obvious wear areas
• bins and seats that should be relative in number to the size of the site and in serviceable condition
• in larger parks, toilets should be provided and these should be easy to access, signed and well maintained
• dependent on the size of the park or open space, the parking provided should be integral to or adjacent to the site with adequate spaces and surfaces in a well-maintained condition
• appropriate lighting that is in good working order
• for larger sites, there could be access to information for both locals and visitors (for example notice or interpretation boards)
• clear evidence that bins have been emptied, litter picked from the site, no dog fouling or graffiti
• capability of supporting a good range of events annually
• the opportunity for a broad range of activities to suit all age groups

You can comment on any of the parks and open spaces of Cambridge by completing a short questionnaire on the Greenstat website.