The GREEN RIBBON OF LONDON CONCEPT

The aim is to create a ribbon of vegetation running across London so that animals can cross the city without crossing a main road managed by the local communities along the route.

INSPIRATION

The idea derives from the corridors of vegetation used in conservation works, specifically to save the tigers in India. By connecting these corridors to their national parks the tigers were allowed to roam safely – domestic animals here in the UK are increasingly under threat and this highlights the fact in an imaginative and playful way. 

AIMS: 

1. To create a conversation around our cities and how we use/view them – originally arising out of fortresses, they were designed to keep things out. Initially, this amounted to hostile people being kept at bay, but now it seems that it is nature that we are keeping out and treating as the enemy.  Having destroyed much of the habitat where our animals and plants once thrived , we now need to move over and share our space with them.
2. To keep the new-found engagement many people have experienced with nature alive as we come out of lockdown.
3. To highlight the change in focus from material values to human values over this period and to build on that. 
4. To address the deforestation of the Uk which currently enjoys a mere 13% tree-cover compared to 35% in Europe 
5. To educate the next generation on indigenous species of plants and animals, their importance, their rightful place, their interactions with other species and the reasons why biodiversity is so important. 
6. To create a site where scientists can study the impact of the environment on species etc.
7. To develop the concept of a National Park City into something striking, tangible and powerful – eventually tourism will evolve around experiencing this phenomenon.
8. The Green Ribbon of London will eventually become a tourist attraction in its own right.

APPLICATION

• Initially an idea, then an exhibition – a gallery space split into four, one for each ribbon that represents a region and each ribbon will be produced by children from on of five schools 
• As children plant species into a structure that represents the Green Ribbon of London experts explain why the plants are indigenous to this area, why it matters, how the species interact and how they affect the environment; how they interact through time – what does each species need to survive? I.e. bees need flowers. 
• Whilst the river Thames is the obvious place to create at least parts of the ribbon – there are various tributaries that lead into it which could extend its scope to a veined network throughout the city
• This concept could also be used in a more abstract way – zebra crossings could be painted green with flowers to represent the ribbon connecting the pavements; buildings could be dressed with living walls; households could be encouraged to have a pot plant in each room to create this ribbon of foliage.

The key to the concept is that a green ribbon continues across, through, between, above and below Man’s constructs so that a sense of balance is created – instead of having the notion of a ‘City versus Nature’,  we have instead, a ‘City with Nature’..

As part of this new initiative, we've created a number of interviews to see how some of the most interesting and influential individuals in this space see the world around us, through the lens of The Depth and Breadth of Sustainability.

We invite you to dive into them on our Sustainability page.