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200
Volunteers got involved in building/ making days
4
Bug & Animal Hotels Made from Site 'Waste'
20
Households Engaged
26
Design/ Engagement Volunteers Gained Experience
Project Proposed Impact
Project Summary:
Community City-Scape transformed the once-neglected St John’s garden in Hoxton into a thriving, biodiverse, and inclusive urban green space. Once hidden among 410 flats, the garden now reconnects local residents with nature and each other.
This Included:
Led by two early-career landscape architects, the project used low-budget, circular economy design to deliver a living, welcoming, and deeply personal space. Through composting, rewilding, community planting, storytelling, and accessibility improvements, the garden has become a hub of nature connection, social inclusion, and local pride. 'This space wasn't just taking on a community garden and getting the community involved it was about understanding, listening and engaging our design to work better for that community, we didn't just come in tear apart the space and put it back together, we worked with the community, engaged with those who never before wanted to be engaged and gave the permission of use to everyone within the community’ through our design and engagement' Amy Alexandra Marsden NPLB Founder
Why It Matters
Urban green spaces are scarce: in London, over 30% of residents live more than a 10-minute walk from a green space (Greater London Authority, 2023)
Biodiversity in cities is declining, with species like insects, hedgehogs, and birds losing habitats to development (RSPB, 2022)
Access to community gardens improves wellbeing, social cohesion, and ecological awareness (Natural England, 2022)
Community engagement multiplies impact: volunteers gain skills, connection, and long-term stewardship habits
The communities Voice
‘I am from morocco my way of expressing my culture and sharing it with others is through making mint tea, I didn't realize before that I could use this space to grow my mint, i now have a big pot i am going to use to grow mint for my mint tea…. And I look after my elderly neighbor before i pushed her to Shoreditch Park which was hard work now we have the seating area I am going to bring her and we can come every day it will take me two minutes to get here with her' community member
‘Amy - you just created what I always hoped the garden would become. Thank you.’ Angela community member, the person who originally fought to set up the garden 20 years ago
The Story behind the Seeds:
Everyday Nature Connection
Residents now experience nature daily through accessible green space, composting, and wildlife habitats. The garden becomes a living classroom right outside people’s homes
Grassroot Action
Low-budget, community-driven interventions — from bug and animal hotels to composting systems — created tangible biodiversity gains and social impact. 20 households now actively engage, with a full committee managing the space and a waiting list for allotments.
Youth Led Change
26 design and engagement volunteers gained practical experience, co-creating solutions with residents. Young landscape architects led design and implementation, showing that youth-led action can shape urban environments.
Deep Human Connection
Events, communal planting, and seating areas foster friendship, inclusion, and shared purpose, enabling neighbours to reconnect and support one another.