London Festival of Architecture: How to change grey to green

In this workshop session, participants will learn how to create green connections between people and nature. We all have a need for physical and social interactions with the natural world. In our cities we can transform our urban environments, even the smallest space can become a haven for wildlife and biodiversity.

Using a toolkit with 12 scalable elements created for the award-winning Low Line Commons vision, we will investigate how this approach can be applied in any location. We will start at 11:00am with a talk and introduction to the concept, followed by a tour of adjacent streets, undertaking a guided site analysis, which will last approximately 1 hour.

We will provide lunch and then work together in groups to create a green neighbourhood using the elements of the toolkit. The workshop will finish at 4:00pm after a discussion and presentation.

Low Line Commons was created for Low Line Partners; it is a vision which connects people and nature along the route of the Victorian rail viaducts from Bankside to Bermondsey.

There are 12 components of the Low Line Commons Design Toolkit which are carefully selected because they support the delivery of the core urban greening and biodiversity targets. Each can be scalable and applicable across small, medium and large sites and diverse neighbourhoods. Appropriate components can be selected and applied to suit each location, making the Low Line Commons Toolkit a transferable enabling framework for collective action.

Low Line was coined by Southwark resident David Stephens. Low Line Commons is a strategy and vision commissioned by Low Line Partners – Better Bankside, Team London Bridge, Blue Bermondsey, Southwark Council and The Arch Company.

Itinerary

11:00 – Welcome

11:10 – Presentation

11:30 – Local tour in groups

12:30 – Lunch

13:00 – Workshop session

15:00 – Presentations

15:45 – Debrief and feedback