Stories
Grosvenor Square is undergoing a multi-million-pound transformation due to be completed in Summer 2026. The transformation is set to create a biodiverse-rich park with multiple green infrastructure types, designed to reconnect people and nature.
At the junction of Kendal Street and Porchester Place, 12 metres of planters were added with pollinator-friendly plants. The adjacent wall was later painted with a floral mural by a local artist, increasing the vibrancy of the space year-round.
At 23 Queen Anne Street, two new green terraces were created as part of a major refurbishment. Featuring a living wall, planters, beehives, and wildlife habitats, the spaces enhance biodiversity and provide staff with a place to relax and connect with nature in the heart of Marylebone.
Office building 170 Piccadilly offers a new landscaped terrace that brings nature to the heart of the building. Carefully selected planting and detailed hard landscaping create sheltered green spaces for work and relaxation, improving the customer experience while supporting biodiversity through thoughtful species selection and ongoing maintenance.
Since 2020, over 70 new trees have been planted across the Portman Estate in collaboration with Westminster City Council. The initiative enhances canopy cover, improves air quality, and contributes to The Queen’s Green Canopy, strengthening community wellbeing and biodiversity in Marylebone and Fitzrovia.
Shaftesbury Capital has installed a 140m² living wall on Floral Street, Covent Garden, enhancing urban biodiversity and wellbeing. Featuring a mix of native and flowering plants, the wall supports pollinators, improves air quality, and creates a calming green space, reflecting both the Wild West End partnership principles and Shaftesbury Capital’s broader sustainability goals.
At 7 Air Street in London, a biodiverse planting scheme brings colour, fragrance, and texture to rooftop spaces and window alcoves. Designed to attract pollinators and enhance wellbeing, the project strengthens the connection between people and nature within an urban office environment.
One Bedford Avenue - Seeking to increase biodiversity in Tottenham Court Road.
Window Boxes are a key part of our villages and our greening story. The majority of our portfolio consists of buildings which sit on the public highway and many of our roofs are taken up with industrial plant, therefore we have had to think outside the box in ways to increase green installations.
The 2021 Earth Day theme is Restore our earth. Read about the Church Commissioners for England’s new reflection garden.
The 2021 Earth Day theme is Restore our earth. Find out about The Crown Estate’s introduction of extensive greening efforts along Regent Street and in St James’s.
The 2021 Earth Day theme is Restore our earth. Find out how Grosvenor Britain and Ireland has set out an ambitious plan for a sustainable office refurbishment and extension.
The 2021 Earth Day theme is Restore our earth. Find out how The Howard de Walden Estate has successfully integrated heritage features with low carbon, sustainable design and modern technology in their head office.
Increased connectedness and demand for data, inexpensive sensor technologies and a call for improved scientific transparency and accessibility has spurred the development of the citizen science movement.
April 7th is World Health Day, the 2021 theme is Building a fairer, healthier world. Find out how urban greening relates to improved health and wellbeing, and how two of our partners are contributing.
Find out more about a great collaboration between BID, landowner and estate to create a pocket park on a busy street for all to enjoy.
Neil Harwood at Arup describes what the incoming Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) policy requirements may mean for the design of green infrastructure and what we can do now to deliver BNG.
In July 2020, the Hyde Park Estate installed the Reflection Garden as a welcome area of green space for reflection at 25 Porchester Place London W2. In September 2020, the water feature was installed in the garden – both aesthetically pleasing for residents and an integral water source for biodiversity.
To celebrate the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs’ (Defra) annual Bees’ Needs Week campaign, Grosvenor Britain & Ireland have shared how they are helping the bee population to thrive in the West End.
We are delighted to announce that seven Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) have joined Wild West End, forming a new BID Network and expanding the programme’s reach across central London. We are also pleased to welcome our seventh partner, the Church Commissioners for England, who own over 2,000 property interests in the Hyde Park Estate including garden squares.
There is evidence to indicate that planters are successful in increasing pollinators however, the evidence base to support this is still limited. To bridge this research gap, Hannah Bonham (BSc Geography) explores ‘how effective are street planters in promoting pollinators in London?’
Shaftesbury partners with Project Zero to Make Carnaby the Most Ocean-Friendly Destination in London.
On Saturday 20th and Sunday 21st July, Shaftesbury celebrated London officially becoming the first National Park City in the world. To celebrate this launch, Shaftesbury partnered with Open Roofs, an initiative run by Open House and part of the Mayor’s National Park City Festival.
Imperial London Hotels and Kimpton Fitzroy London have generously sponsored the installation of insect hotels to increase the biodiversity in Russell Square Gardens in alignment with the Wild West End approach.
The four garden squares of The Portman Estate contribute significantly to the biodiversity of the West End and have huge benefits for local wildlife, including a long-standing resident rabbit, Charlie.
HRH Prince of Wales plants a Quercus Palustris (Pin Oak)as part of the St. James’s Palace public realm project.
For nearly a decade, above the hustle and bustle of Broadwick Street, a wild rooftop garden has provided a home to bee hives at Hearst Magazines’ offices in Carnaby…
Seasonal planting in window boxes, planters and hanging baskets is providing an attractive display and encouraging pollinators back into Carnaby.
To celebrate the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs’ (Defra) annual Bees’ Needs Week campaign, Carnaby helped to raise awareness of the importance of pollinators and what people can do all over the country to help them thrive.