Community Gardening | Lizzie Wood Design

LizzieWood / Work / Wildlife Gardening For Change

Some of our gardening group in action, April 2023

Reclaiming a Park Through Community Gardening

Overview

I devised and led a project to transform a neglected South East London park affected by anti-social behaviour (ASB), through wildlife gardening.

Goal

Reduce ASB by creating a safer, more inviting space.
Improve biodiversity and access to nature.
Strengthen community ownership and engagement for long-term impact.

Impact

Park usage has triple. Residents now feel safer and actively use the space.
ASB has declined, reports of criminal activity are reduced despite an increase in the local area.
Biodiversity is showing improvement. Butterfly counts now exceed national averages for two years running.
We have received significant recognition for our work, gaining a Green Flag status, London In Bloom “Thriving” Award and a letter of thanks from our local MP for our contribution to the improvement in the local area.

Left: The park in it heyday in the 1950's

Right: The same location 2020

The Problem

Once a vibrant community space, the park had become a “no-go” zone due to a number of interconnected issues.

Poor maintenance & overgrown vegetation created hiding spots for crime and deterred park users.
Residents avoided the park due to safety concerns and the was low community confidence.
Biodiversity deficit, the park lacked diverse plant life, limiting its ecological value and appeal.
Local works caused persistent flooding leading to Infrastructure challenges. Other park equipment was outdated and tired.

Early interventions like installing CCTV and clearing overgrowth improved visibility but didn’t encourage active park use. A deeper, long-term solution was needed.

How might we design a park that people actually want to use?

We hypothesised that:

Biodiverse attractive planting would make the park more people-friendly as research suggests that well maintained naturalistic spaces naturally positive behaviours.
More community involvement would lead to more ownership. Research suggests that when people feel a space belongs to them, they take care of it.
More activity in the park (due to it being a more attractive space) would lead to less ASB. We hoped a busy, well-used park would be a self-regulating space.

The Park In 2020

Lack of use, lead to lack of maintenance which lead to an increase of ASB.

Flooding January 2021

Local building works nearby left much of the park flooded.

Flower bed in front of playground; Summer 2023

The area in the previous slide nine months later. Buzzing with life, full of flowers and creating a safe attractive park for residents to safely use.

The Park In 2020

Lack of use, lead to lack of maintenance which lead to an increase of ASB.

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Slideshow showing before and after photos of the park.

The Intervention: Community Gardening as a Design Tool

A survey showed strong support for wildlife planting, and the local council was open to the idea. From research with residents and key stakeholders we learnt for our project to work we knew we needed:

Native, drought-resistant plants that thrive in poor soil and unpredictable weather.
Low-profile planting to maintain sightlines for safety.
Seasonal variety ensuring the park looks intentionally cared for year-round and to boost biodiversity.
To balance biodiversity with a people-first design, to create a space which feels inviting and comfortable.

We won council funding and launched a volunteer gardening group with residents growing plants from seed, preparing beds, and shaping the space together.

I would like to note here, that although the plan for our wildlife beds was supported in general we did face significant opposition from some of the Safer Neighbourhood Police team who felt that dense flowerbeds would create opportunities for concealment of weapons or drugs. In addition some park users were very vocal about the project being a waste of time and money. They felt that other park users would vandalise the planting and pick the flowers.

Flower bed near the entrance of the park in, August 2023

Implementation, Growth and Impact.

By Summer 2023 the park was visibly transformed. We had two thriving flowerbeds established, plus a new water source installed by the council. As engagement grew, we identified and transformed an additional neglected area in 2024, further reducing ASB while expanding wildlife-friendly spaces.

Some of key impacts are:

Footfall has tripled, more families, walkers, and local groups are using the space.
ASB has declined. The park is now safer, with a more welcoming atmosphere and fewer incidents. Incredibly this remains the case despite crime rising in the local area.
Measurable biodiversity is thriving with butterfly counts exceeding national averages for two years running. Previously they were lower than the average.
The park won a prestigious Green Flag Award and London In Bloom’s “Thriving” status.
A stronger partnership with the council has led to increased park maintenance and a more responsive approach to addressing reported problems.

What’s Next?

This is a long term social project and our short to medium term goals are to:

Maintain existing flower beds, I appreciate this sounds quite boring, but maintenance of our existing work and keeping the motivation of our volunteers up will be a significant but important challenge.
We would like to partner with youth groups to engage young people in co-managing planting areas and hopefully further reducing disruptive behaviour in the park,
To strengthen the governance of the parent community group, ensuring long-term sustainability through better community structures. (See here for part two of this project)

Key Learnings

This hands-on experience has been transformational for my understanding of community spaces, engagement, and the power of small, local interventions. I hadn’t expected how much time I’d spend simply chatting with park regulars. These conversations have been just as valuable as the planting itself, building trust, understanding needs, and shaping the direction of the project.

As successful as this project has been, I encountered significant issues stemming from the organisational structure and resulting culture of the parent community group. I have documented this as a separate project here.