Global Green spaces

Green spaces across the world and their future

Green space futures

Across the globe, green spaces are essential to the fabric of local communities, and some have even become icons in their own right, with people traveling far and wide to visit. From major green spaces such as NYC’s Central Park to local parks and gardens, it’s been proven that spending time in nature helps to increase our happiness, energy levels, and creativity.

The world is an ever-changing place though, with green spaces being destroyed due to a variety of factors. According to the U.S. Forest Service, an estimated 6,000 acres of open space are converted to other uses each day, with expanding urban and suburban areas being the main cause of the loss of forests, grasslands, and other natural areas deemed as green spaces. Globally, green spaces have become essential to communities and ecosystems as we face the ever-imminent threat of global warming.

There are cities across the globe making protecting and creating green spaces a priority as they look toward a sustainable future. We even have the opportunity to get a glimpse into what the future of our world’s green spaces might look like with the help of advanced technologies. We utilized our AI image generator to determine what popular green spaces might look like in the future.

Yoyogi Park & Meiji Shrine

Tokyo

Visualize Yoyogi Park 50 years into the future, where urban expansion has encroached, resulting in fewer trees and greenery. The scene should feature a harmonious blend of new city buildings that reflect Tokyo's architectural evolution alongside traditional Japanese Element. Retain popular and recognizable features of Yoyogi Park.

Yoyogi Park & Meiji Shrine - Tokyo - next image to load

The cities with the most green space

Considering green spaces, especially in urban areas, can help increase creativity and productivity levels, we wanted to find out which cities worldwide have the most green spaces to offer.

We analyzed Google reviews for 2,300 green space attractions across the world’s 100 most populous cities to determine which cities offer the most green space attractions and to determine which are considered the most popular.

The global cities with the most green spaces

Cities with the most searched for green space attractions

Tokyo boasts the #1 most green spaces compared to all other cities

Tokyo ranks as the number one city with the most green spaces, with 159 parks and other nature-related attractions. From Shiba Park just steps away from the hustle and bustle of the city to the tranquil serenity of the Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden, there are a multitude of parks and other green spaces that residents and visitors can flock to for a moment of peace. Tokyo also ranks 11th for the city with the most visited green space attractions, with its 159 green spaces being reviewed nearly 359,000 times.

London has the 2nd most green spaces globally

London ranks as the second city globally with the most green spaces, boasting 78 parks and nature-related attractions. From the historic expanse of Hyde Park in the heart of the city to the lush woodlands of Hampstead Heath, London offers a wide range of green spaces where residents and visitors alike can escape for a breath of fresh air. London also ranks sixth among cities with the most visited green space attractions, with nearly 630,000 reviews celebrating its 78 green spaces.

Paris comes in as the 3rd city with the most green spaces

Paris ranks as the third city offering the most green spaces, with 63 parks and nature-related attractions. From the iconic elegance of the Luxembourg Gardens to the scenic pathways of the Bois de Boulogne, Paris offers a diverse array of green spaces where residents and visitors can bask in Mother Nature’s beauty. Paris also ranks second among cities with the most visited green space attractions, with its 63 green spaces being reviewed nearly 965,000 times.

Singapore ranks 4th when it comes to offering the most green spaces

Singapore ranks as the fourth city globally with the most green spaces, having 55 parks and nature-related attractions. From the futuristic beauty of Gardens by the Bay to the lush tranquility of East Coast Park, Singapore offers a wide variety of green spaces where locals and visitors can relax and connect with nature. The city also ranks 10th for the most visited green space attractions, with nearly 377,000 reviews celebrating its 55 green spaces.

New York City rounds out the top five global cities with the most green spaces

New York City ranks as the fifth city globally for the most green spaces, with 46 parks and nature-related attractions. From the iconic Central Park to the peaceful expanses of Prospect Park, New York offers an array of green spaces where residents and visitors can unwind and enjoy the outdoors. The Big Apple also ranks fifth for the most visited green space attractions, with over 725,000 reviews highlighting its 48 green spaces.

The U.S. cities with the most green spaces

New York City is the #1 U.S. city with the most green spaces

Though the Big Apple ranks fifth as the global city with the most green spaces, it ranks in the top spot when looking at U.S.-specific cities. New York City offers locals and visitors 46 green spaces – from the iconic Central Park, to The Battery, to Prospect Park – to find a moment of peace within the bustling city.

Seattle has the 2nd most green spaces compared to other U.S. cities

Seattle ranks as the second U.S. city with the most green spaces, with 42 parks and nature-related attractions. From the lush expanses of Discovery Park to the serene beauty of Volunteer Park, Seattle offers a variety of green spaces where both residents and visitors can relax and enjoy the outdoors. The city also ranks 36th globally for the most visited green space attractions, with over 135,000 reviews of its green spaces.

San Francisco comes in as the 3rd U.S. city with the most green spaces

San Francisco ranks as the third U.S. city with the most green spaces, with 36 parks and nature-related attractions. From the scenic beauty of Golden Gate Park to the peaceful serenity of Presidio, San Francisco offers a diverse range of green spaces where locals and visitors can unwind and connect with nature. The city also ranks 33rd globally for the most visited green space attractions, with over 148,000 reviews celebrating its green spaces.

Chicago boasts the 4th most green spaces

Chicago ranks as the fourth U.S. city with the most green spaces, offering 22 parks and nature-related attractions. From the expansive beauty of Millennium Park to the scenic trails of Lincoln Park, Chicago offers a variety of green spaces where both residents and visitors can enjoy the outdoors. The city also ranks 27th globally for the most visited green space attractions, with nearly 175,000 reviews highlighting its green spaces.

Houston rounds out the top five U.S. cities with the most green spaces

Houston rounds out the top five U.S. cities with the most green spaces, with 22 parks and nature-related attractions. From the expansive beauty of Hermann Park to the tranquil paths of Buffalo Bayou Park, Houston provides a variety of green spaces where residents and visitors can unwind in nature. The city also ranks 46th globally for the most visited green space attractions, with nearly 112,000 reviews celebrating its green spaces.

Cities with the most searched for green space attractions

Based on total number of Google searches each month

London is the top city with the most searched for green spaces globally

Taking the lead for the city with the most searched for green spaces is London with 5.18 million searches made annually. As for the specific green spaces people are searching for the most, Hyde Park, Victoria Park, Finsbury Park, Hampstead Heath, and Regents Park are the top five most searched for parks across London. Hyde Park, Victoria Park, and Finsbury Park even rank among the top 10 most searched for green spaces globally.

New York City ranks second for the most searched for green spaces

It’s no shock that New York City ranks as the second city globally with the most searched for green spaces, with people making 4.5 million searches each year for the Big Apple’s green spaces. Perhaps one of the most iconic green spaces worldwide, Central Park is the most searched for green space globally with 1.83 million searches being made annually. Bryant Park, The High Line, Washington Square Park, and Little Island round out the top five most searched for green spaces in New York City.

Singapore is the third city with the most searches for its green spaces

Crossing the Pacific to Asia, Singapore ranks as the third global city with the most searches made for its green spaces annually, with people making 1.72 million searches for its various parks and gardens. The Gardens by the Bay, is the most searched for green space in Singapore and ranks in the top five most searched for green spaces globally with 550,000 being made every year.

Paris is the fourth city with the most searches for its green spaces

The City of Love is the fourth city with the most searches for its green spaces, with people making 1.55 million searches annually. Jardin des Plantes and Jardin des Tuileries are among the most searched green spaces in Paris.

Mexico City rounds out the top five cities with the most searched for green space attractions

Rounding out the top five cities with the most searched for green spaces is Mexico City, with 1.16 million searches being made annually for the parks and gardens that dot the city. Parque Bicentenario and Bosque de Chapultepec are the most searched green spaces in Mexico City, and Parque Bicentenario even ranks among the top 10 most searched for green spaces globally.

The decreasing green space in the most popular U.S. cities

Factors such as climate change, deforestation, urbanization, and more have, and continue to, contribute to the loss of green spaces across the country. Nationwide, there’s been a 17% decrease in tree cover since 2000, with some major cities seeing up to a 50% decrease in tree cover over the last 23 years.

Based on percentage decrease since 2000

The decreasing green space in the most popular U.S. cities

Methodology

To get our seed list of green space attractions in the top 100 most populated cities, we scraped TripAdvisor for attractions in the "Nature & Parks" section, tagged as either "Parks", "Gardens", or "National Parks". From this list, we eliminated any attractions with less than 10 reviews to remove any unreliable listings. For the remaining attractions, we then collected the number of Google reviews and average Google reviews rating for 2,300 green space attractions.

Additionally, we used Google Keyword Planner to collect the number of monthly searches for each attraction, both globally, and for each individual state. To account for differences in local search intent for certain parks, we added the location to the keyword to find the most searched for attraction from each State, e.g. "hyde park london" rather than just "hyde park". This helps to eliminate any searches intended to be for a Hyde Park, etc, based in that state.

Finally, we utilized our AI image generator to determine what the U.S. and global cities with the most green spaces might look like 50 years from now based on the rate of tree loss within each city, or the county or region the city is located in. Data accurate as of November 15, 2024.