Social housing and green space: a case study in Inner London

Urban woodlands and green spaces provide a range of benefitsto people in densely populated areas: as places to use, viewand enjoy. There is increasing interest in green spaces andtheir impacts on people's quality of life. The work describedin this paper involved a partnership between Peabody Trust,a social housing association; the Forestry Commission and Treesfor Cities, an environmental charity. The aim of the projectwas to involve residents in the use and enjoyment of their localwoodland. The research gained an understanding of how the residentsof two housing estates in South London view and experience theirlocal woodland, called Peabody Hill Wood. Three focus groupsand a questionnaire were undertaken with residents. Observationswere also made at a community activity day and walk throughthe wood with local residents. From the analysis of the data,there was a complex mix of attitudes towards Peabody Hill Woodthat related to not only the management of the wood but alsothe management of the buildings by Peabody Trust. This researchhighlights, as a number of other studies have, that woodlandsnear to where people live are valuable spaces and play a significantrole by providing opportunity for contact with nature. Key implicationsof the research suggest that housing associations can have animportant role to play in green space management. Partnershipworking with the environmental sector can help bring about muchneeded improvements to the environment. Working with communitiesand sustaining long-term commitment are also advocated.