London certainly isn’t lacking in the greenery department. Parks and green spaces actually make up a whopping 47% of our capital city. We’ve got old parks, new parks, pretty bloody huge parks, and we also have some teeny-tiny parks scattered across London’s transport network. And its those mini horticultural havens that we’re going to be waxing lyrical about today.
Across the capital, perched inside four (rather aptly-named) Tube stations are nine Tiny Parks. Created in partnership with design studio, the Edible Bus Stop; these pocket-sized gardens have been transforming disused station ticket offices since 2016. And have brought some well needed nature underground.
The Tiny Parks were created with the intention of boosting the mood of Londoners, and have spruced up four London Tube stations: St James’s Park (where two parks can be found), Belsize Park (which is home to one), Wood Green and Kilburn Park (both of which boast three tiny parks). Each former ticket office has been filled with tropical, low-maintenance plants, chosen for the positive effects they have on air-quality (and commute-quality, for that matter).
Each mini urban oasis has its very own dedicated Tiny Park ranger who tends to the needs of the plants. The leafy green displays sit behind little glass windows before the barriers in the stations, and offer something blooming gorgeous to look at on your morning commute instead of your phone screen or the armpits of your fellow commuters.
You’ll find London’s Tiny Parks at St James’s Park, Belsize Park, Wood Green and Kilburn Park. Find out more about them here.