The Camden Highline: A New Green Artery in London for People and Pollinators
PLT is delighted to share the news of projects promoting biodiversity and green space ecological health across Greater London. Camden Highline is a registered charity leading an innovative scheme to transform a disused section of raised rail line between Camden Town and Kings Cross into a green artery for London. The project will turn a disused stretch of railway viaduct into a new 1.2km elevated park and walking route, connecting Camden and King’s Cross, bringing new local green space to 20,000 people.
Camden Highline aims to provide a shared back garden for all local people. It’s a connective tissue weaving through some of London’s most deprived high-density housing estates, as well as some of its newest high-end developments. It will be a platform for community activity, with design features providing opportunities for play, cooking and events. The ecological assessment of the site found that it currently has low ecological value, and the masterplan responds to all its recommendations to bring greater biodiversity to the area and improve it as a biodiversity corridor, including pollinator diversity.
Four ecotypes inspired by Young Woodland, Hedgerows, Meadows and Productive Gardens will be created and feature pollinator-friendly planting. It will also be home to insect hotels in the form of bee posts and blocks with nooks and crannies that imitate logs in a forest, as well as bat boxes, increasing pollination and the overall ecological health of Camden and the London region.
The project has grown from an idea in a local newspaper into a feasible project with a master plan put together by an exciting design team, including James Corner Field Operations (Design Lead), vPPR Architects and Piet Oudolf garden designer. It has the backing of many local supporters, with a network of over 1,000 local individual donors and 500 volunteers. The Highline team have worked with community consultation agency Street Space to ensure that local voices are championed in the design process, especially focusing their engagement efforts in the housing estates. Camden Highline also has its own education programme using the project as a real-world learning opportunity and, with the help of volunteers, they have conducted over 2,000 hours in local schools.
Camden Highline will be submitted to planning in January 2022 and the team are now working hard to fundraised to build and maintain the park. Please get in contact with the team if you are interested in supporting the project, or think you might be able to assist with their fundraising aims. You can also keep up to date with the project by signing up to the mailing list here.
