World Health Day
Today is World Health Day, the 2021 theme is Building a fairer, healthier world.
Health and wellbeing are important parts of the strategy and vision of Wild West End, which aims to:
Improve the wellbeing of residents, workers and visitors by increasing connections to green space and nature and contributing to improvements in local air quality and to;
Raise awareness and promote the benefits of green infrastructure to inspire others to participate and create similar initiatives.
You can find out more about how we contribute in our Value Matrix on our website.
The importance of access to urban green spaces has perhaps never been more apparent than during the past year. Urban green spaces enable physical activity, provide opportunities for psychological relaxation and stress alleviation, enhance social cohesion, and reduce exposure to air pollutants, noise, and excessive heat to name but a few.
The services provided through urban green spaces such as parks, forests and residential greenery improve mental and physical health, and reduce morbidity and mortality in urban residents. Access to nature in urban areas also improve the overall quality of life for urban residents. Research from University of Leeds and Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust highlights that higher degrees of biodiversity, provide even greater benefits to health.
So, how are we supporting health and wellbeing across Wild West End? Find out more about our Partner initiatives below.
Grosvenor Britain & Ireland – 3,000 New Plants Frame Mayfair Streets as Part of Long-Term Biodiversity Drive
Grosvenor Britain & Ireland has installed several different features aiming to provide both environmental and social benefits. Over 3,000 new plants are now framing four of the West End’s most stunning retail streets, Mount Street, North Audley Street, Duke Street and South Molton Street, in a new initiative to green and improve the environment in Mayfair with retailers and office occupiers.
In addition to environmental benefits, there is mounting evidence that incorporating greening in the built environment can improve quality of life: reduce stress, blood pressure and heart rates, whilst increasing self-reported rates of mental health and well-being.
Amelia Bright, Executive Director, London Estate Grosvenor Britain & Ireland commented:
“The new planting softens the West End’s harder edges while celebrating its incredible architecture and improving the environment for all. We will continue to invest in innovative initiatives like this.”
Grosvenor has also installed Belgravia’s first green wall on Elizabeth Street, home to 876 plants, of which 676 are of high biodiversity value. In 2019 it also created the world’s first green lamp posts in Ebury Street, Belgravia aimed at reducing air pollution, improving urban biodiversity, evapotranspiration cooling and noise reduction.
Green wall on Elisabeth Street.
The Howard de Walden Estate: Green Roofs for Healthy Cities
Green space is vital within a dense urban environment like Marylebone Village. In recent years The Howard de Walden Estate have installed several green walls and 18 green roofs, providing over 900 square metres of green rooftop.
One of the green roofs of The Howard de Walden Estate.
Howard de Walden has planning consent for a further 13 new green roofs which will provide over 1,000 square metres of additional green space and ‘green links’ to nearby public parks. This includes 4 Bentinck Street, an office currently being refurbished where we are creating new green roofs, a green wall and two new rooftop terraces with planters and potted plants. A mixture of over 30 wildflowers, herbs, and flowering perennials have been carefully chosen to attract a wide range of pollinating insects and birds.
These are relatively simple ways to add some natural beauty to peoples’ workspace, which can be hard to achieve on the ground in the heart of the city. When designed well, spaces like these can be calming, helping to transport people to another state of mind and combat the stresses of daily life. As well as reducing noise, plants are also effective at absorbing carbon dioxide and pollution.
Wild West End aims to provide increased urban green spaces through the work of its partners, and by doing so also contributing to increased health and wellbeing of Londoners.
Partners:
Grosvenor Britain & Ireland
The Howard de Walden Estate
Key Facts:
3,000 new plants in Mayfair
First green wall in Belgravia - home to 876 plants
900 square meters of green roofs across The Howard de Walden Estate - with an additional 1,000 square meters planned
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