Green mission aims to raise £1bn to bring nature into UK towns and cities

Hoburne pond, a green space in Christchurch, Dorset. Photograph: Peter Flude/The Guardian

A coalition of environmental and heritage bodies has launched a billion-pound mission to bring nature into the heart of urban areas in the UK.

The first phase of the Nature Towns and Cities initiative will involve £15.5m being invested in 40 towns and cities across the four nations.