Urban Ecology & Greening the Public Realm - Garden Museum

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Urban Ecology & Greening the Public Realm

How often do you think about the ‘public realm’? Not just parks and recreation grounds but the spaces and places in between as we journey around the city. It is impossible to escape the public realm, yet we rarely think of it as a cohesive whole.

In 2024 we began work on a new public garden on the doorstep of the Museum at the centre of the wider project in partnership with Lambeth Council which will transform 5.3 acres of public realm adjacent to the museum into a series of new parks and interconnected public green spaces.

To connect with this major project, we were delighted to host a series of events that focus on greening the public realm. Benny Hawksbee was joined by a panel including Cassandra Li, Kiran Gok Lune Lee, and Mark Patterson to speak about the joys and the pitfalls/their experience of urban ecology and greening public urban spaces.

Whether starting from scratch, or rejuvenating an existing green space, the panel discusses how to understand existing ecosystems, how to engage with local residents and stakeholders, and how to create biodiverse and wildlife-friendly environments, sustainably and set against the backdrop of a changing climate.

Photos courtesy of Benny Hawksbee