Athina Kontos
Beneath a skyline peppered with cranes and new developments, an ecological consciousness is simmering in London. Pockets of urban wild land, wetlands and community gardens are manifesting among concentrated grey areas, breathing biodiversity back into the city one ecosystem at a time. Grassy and leafy by reputation, London projects images of terraces lined with sycamores and wartime hedgerows; delicately planted Georgian squares and bursts of creeping ivy. These remain important assets in maintaining a soulful quaintness and cultural identity, historical connection and as it happens, carbon storage - but they are not nearly enough to impact our environmental goals by themselves. London is rich in parkland, but decades of hyper-regulation and corporate structure have taken their toll on ecosystems and soil health. Below the surface, our green integrity has diminished, but it s not all bad news. Planting communities are using nature-led methods to accelerate the restorat