The COVID-19 pandemic in the context of the wider climate crisis has stressed the importance of access to green public spaces and nature in supporting the mental health and physical well-being of communities across London.
How has public realm changed in the past year? What is the role of green public spaces in the pandemic response and recovery? How can built environment professionals support urban biodiversity and inclusive public spaces?
Members will hear from key experts about how placemaking can promote a resilient and green recovery.
Programme
00:00 Welcome from Chair
Benjamin O’Connor, Director, NLA
Benjamin welcomes viewers to the webinar and discusses the changes to public spaces in the last year, as well as the shift to active travel.
01:07 Green infrastructure
Dr. Katherine Drayson begins by introducing green infrastructure, discussing the issues with accessibility and the importance of transportation links to green spaces. She says that TfL has the levers to be doing more with green spaces, and will continue to work with boroughs to look at sustainable solutions. Katherine closes by highlighting the importance of the 'Healthy Streets' approach to help Londoners use their cars less and move towards active travel.
14:33 Flexible public spaces
Cannon Ivers, Director, LDA Design
Cannon Ivers focuses on flexibility, talking viewers through the Strand Aldwych project which placed a real emphasis on culture and demographics. This involved looking at the 'cultural calendar' to see what is in place and what is driving the cultural capital of London which informed LDA Design on how people occupy space.
28:46 Parks and green spaces
Sam Parry, Parks Development Manager, LB Hackney
Sam Parry reflects on the impact the last year has had on parks and green spaces. He states 'parks became people's office, their front rooms, cafes and even their nightclubs; they became people's only escape in London'. This highlights the change in need for park goers and green spaces must now offer greater demand amenities than ever before.
39:13 Lessons from Paris
Mary Bowman talks through the project surrounding the Eiffel Tower and discusses the issues when working in very historical and culturally important settings. Mary says the most challenging aspect was balancing how to respond to biodiversity needs while maintaining the historical context of the area.
57:39 Panel discussion
Speakers above, plus:
Howard Gray, PR & Specification Consultant, GreenBlue Urban