Accessing Nature in Bromley

What does nature look like around London, and what kind of access do you have to it? London is 48% green and blue space, yet much of this space is inaccessible to the public. As we have seen during Covid-19, access to outdoor space has never been more vital, and the quality of those spaces can shape our lives.

The borough of Bromley sits on the edge of London and has been my home for most of my life, informing my notions of nature through the woods, fields and streams around me. Many of these are sites of importance for nature conservation, hosting an abundance of rare species and vital habitats. If you are lucky enough like me to live close by to one, then you may be able to have an amazing connection to the natural world right down your street. However this access is not universal.

This project explores how accessible nature is in Bromley by looking at how many of these sites are available, where they are located and if they are accessible and for who. By utilising walking, drawing and mapping, this project creates 22 maps of the borough that link each site within the borough with the subsequent distance of the walk and sites it takes in. This creates a tangible way of seeing just how much nature we have access to locally, and who has access to them.

In this talk I will lead you through my experiences of nature in London, from walking and mapping the border of the city to reflecting on just how accessible nature is in Bromley. Through these two case studies we will be able to discuss the micro and macro of nature in London, and how we can create a more accessible, diverse and thriving ecosystem to live within as residents of the city.

With Jon Halls.