About Natural Walking Cities

About Natural Walking Cities

A resource to create and promote sustainable urban places around the world by making our cities more walkable and integrated with nature.


Natural Walking Cities combines three essential elements to creating any modern sustainable city or town:

  • High levels of walkability and place making – leading to environmental, health, economic and social benefits for urban populations through promoting the most sustainable form of transport ‘walking’. The associated improvements to local air quality lead to reductions in the negative health impacts of pollution. Walking friendly cities and high streets attract better employers and businesses whilst also creating more economically sustainable high streets with pedestrians spending 40% more than those that drive to shops. Plus the more walkable a place is the more chances there are of social and community interactions and cohesion between urban populations.
  • Urban green space and more natural cities – Integrating nature into our cities provides wide ranging environmental benefits including: air pollution absorption, carbon storage, sustainable urban drainage, local air cooling, insulation for buildings, enhancing urban ecosystems and promoting habitats for wildlife. Equally important are the social and wellbeing benefits for people and urban communities, that include higher levels of both physical activity, social interaction and cohesion, in addition to reducing mental health issues such as depression and anxiety.
  • Sharing and talking about what works – it is essential now more than ever, for practitioners and champions of sustainable cities to share knowledge and best practice about how we can ensure our cities, the most populated areas of the world work for both people and the environment.

About Rich

Following 10 years experience working to create sustainable communities both within the UK and abroad – working separately on community based urban planting projects; and pedestrian focused street design and behaviour change projects – Richard Lambert created Natural Walking Cities bringing these two essential elements of sustainable and healthy cities together in one place.

“At the centre of it all, I am passionate about creating sustainable, happy and healthy cities that have both walkability and natural infrastructure embedded within them. That means fully integrating nature, trees and greenery on a cities’ streets and buildings; combined with streets centred around people – that promote walking and better public spaces in our towns and cities and more cohesive resilient communities. ”

My career in both pedestrian and urban greening sectors has given me the following expertise, training and experience:

  • Pedestrian street auditing and expert reviews;
  • Campaign and policy development around sustainable urban development;
  • Co-design and in-depth engagement with communities;
  • Tree and plant identification;
  • Urban planting techniques;
  • Project Management & Research and evaluation methods to support sustainable street design, urban greening projects and community development;
  • Event management – specifically community, planting and street closure event management and designing and delivering bespoke led walks;
  • Delivering Shinrin-Yoku “Forest Bathing” walks for individuals and groups – Register your interest;
  • A member of the International Federation of Pedestrians;
  • A Young Urbanist at the Academy of Urbanism;
  • A member of Cities Forum.

If you would like to discuss working together further click here.