ORVal: the value of greenspace

Outdoor recreation valuation tool (ORVal) is a freely accessible web-based tool that predicts the number of visits to greenspaces in England and estimates the welfare value in monetary terms.

It can be used by planners to examine how the value of visits would change if land cover was changed or if new green spaces were created. Results can be grouped by local authority area or catchment and can be split by socio-economic group.

Greenspaces covered include parks, countryside paths, woods, beaches, allotments, cemeteries, nature areas and it also covers habitat types – woodland, agriculture and natural grass and designated areas such as nature reserves, and points of interest such as historic sites and playgrounds.