Elephant Park is a £2.3 billion regeneration project delivering 3,000 homes along with offices, shops, leisure and community facilities. The green infrastructure includes a new park, and a play facility with fountains, waterfalls and slides. The project showcases the successful use of an Urban Greening Factor standard.

What was the vision?

An urban oasis connecting people to place and nature. A liveable place where people and businesses can thrive, a place that feels relaxed and naturalistic, welcoming to all and home to nature. An exciting place with greenspaces connected by tree-lined streets and a strong connection to Elephant & Castle’s rich heritage.

How did the Green Infrastructure Framework help to realise the vision?

Increasingly, Urban Greening Factors are challenging design teams to increase the quality and quantity of planting. Meadows and trees achieve a high score within Urban Greening Factor calculations, encouraging designers to increase high value habitats, crucial if we are to tackle the big issues of the 21st century.

What’s been achieved?

The two acre park at the centre of the Elephant Park development is one of the largest new green spaces delivered in central London for over 70 years and is attracting visitors from across the city. The project demonstrates the transformative results that clear guidance and well-defined parameters can deliver. It’s achieved an Urban Greening Factor score of 0.36 by turning traditional methods of master planning on their head. Instead of saying "Where can we fit in green infrastructure?", the designers asked "Where is it absolutely necessary to have hard infrastructure?". The design has created a place where people can connect with nature in the heart of an urban area. For example, a welcoming community space has been created at The Tree House, with a café kiosk and accessible toilets. Visitors can immerse themselves in the tree canopy from the roof terrace, and take in the view across the park and surrounding area.

What were the problems to overcome?

Green infrastructure represents a vital tool in urban climate change mitigation and adaptation. The network of multifunctional greenspaces at Elephant Park help to reduce the impacts of the urban heat island effect, surface water flooding, biodiversity loss and poor air quality, alongside a raft of other benefits.

What lessons have been learnt?

Selecting the appropriate plants adds nature conservation value, encouraging locally important invertebrates, birds and other wildlife. For example, the designers have used mature London Planes, Liquidambars and cherries, grown and supplied in the UK by Hilliers Nursery. The project's Biodiversity, Ecology, and Nature (BEN) strategy guided the ecological design of the project.

How was the green infrastructure strategy funded?

Elephant Park received funding from the London City Hall Green and Resilient Spaces Fund, the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Greengage Environmental and Lendlease.

How is the infrastructure being managed and funded going forward?

The publicly accessible green spaces are maintained by the estate management team and funded through a service charge.