After a Summer of little rain, it was a delight to head back to school to see just how much the rain gardens have grown and how the area, once a busy polluted car parking zone right in front of the school, has now become a haven for nature, bikes and community.
The area, while taking up a very small part of the road, attracts more bikes than cars could previously park here. The bench, situated right in the heart of the scheme, is in constant use with parents and children enjoying the chance to appreciate a little nature.
And, while the Summer was hot and dry, the well thought out planting scheme has grown over summer without any additional watering.
It is clear that, since the living street was installed two years ago, more and more parents have invested in cargo bikes to do the school run. The e-bikes parked here allow parents to walk to school with their children and then cycle into work from school.
The Spring planting has grown and matured over the holidays and the tall grasses are left glowing amber in the autumnal sun. Everyone is enjoying the wildlife that the plants are attracting to the area, and this will increase over wildlife to the area and increase over time.
The bench is always busy with visitors, parents and children waiting, meeting or using the free little library. It has changed the very fabric of the street – where it was once dominated by cars, it is now a place for people of all ages to connect. Can you imagine what would happen if spaces like this were created on all the streets in Islington or even London as a whole?
One of the main concerns that we encountered as the project was being planned was the fear that drivers wouldn’t be able to park. It turns out that parking a few metres away from the school and dropping children off in a safer street, filled with nature, isn’t as much of a problem as initially thought. Children are safer as they come to school, which in turn has led to a drop in families driving to school, making the roads even safer.
Air quality has substantially improved and children’s fitness has also increased. There has also been a huge benefit to the children’s mental well-being by changing the grey for the lovely greens and browns of nature.
We’d love to know what you think and how your local school might benefit from a little living street magic!