Guerrilla Gardening & Urban Landscapes

Hello, I'm Emily, a final year student at Nottingham Trent University conducting research on urban green spaces for my dissertation. I'd love to hear your experiences of green spaces in cities, how you use them and what affect they have on your wellbeing. I'd also like to start a discussion around Guerrilla Gardening and its possibility to shape urban landscapes.

The following questions are optional but can act as a starting point for the discussion, please feel free to add any relevant opinions and comments to this thread!  

• What do you use your regular urban green space for?
• What do urban green spaces mean to you and how do they affect your wellbeing?
• Has living through a pandemic and spending more time at home made you reevaluate the urban green spaces you use?
• How would you like to see urban green spaces evolve?
• Why did you start Guerrilla Gardening?
• What do you think Guerrilla Gardening has the power to achieve in cities?

Data & Privacy
By participating in this research, you accept that your answers may be used in my dissertation, portfolio, website and social media posts. You will remain anonymous and have the right to request or withdraw your data at anytime. All data will be stored securely. If you have any questions surrounding your data or would like to withdraw your submission, please don't hesitate to contact me at er.emilyrhodes@gmail.com.

Hi Emily, I've mostly lived in cities and have greatly valued urban green spaces as for many years I did not have a garden. So I would use local parks to sit in, relax or walk. Living in cities such as London I have found green spaces to be vital to my physical and mental wellbeing. They have provided me with escape from noise and pollution.  I enjoy the natural colours of the environment in contrast to the cement and greyness of the city buildings or the artificial colours of street signs, shop fronts, billboards etc. I feel I breathe more deeply and begin to relax when I am in green spaces. The horizons are bigger, particularly when I have lived in densely built, high rise areas with few long distance views. I also find it comforting to see and hear wildlife, even in the smallest of urban spaces - bees, butterflies, birds.  And to see trees and plants growing gives me a sense of comfort in the inevitability of the seasons. I have definitely come to appreciate local green spaces even more during the lockdowns of the pandemic. They induce in me a calmness and a reassurance that not all things have changed. I have been guerrilla gardening on and off for about 15 years. I started as I am a keen gardener and when I eventually got my own garden I found I had a surplus of plants and seeds.  I collect seed from my plants and also enjoy propagating plants, but have only ever had very small urban gardens and wanted to expand!  I've lived near neglected areas which I have enjoyed revitalising with colour and plants for pollinators. I have mostly done this on my own but am hoping to find other like-minded guerrilla gardeners when we are out of lockdown and combine this with picking up litter in my local area. I would like to see all green spaces in cities protected and Councils prevented from building on them. I think local communities can do a lot if they get together to develop and cultivate neglected spaces. And I hope many people continue to use green spaces in the future as by using them we will show that we need them. I hope this reply is useful.  Wishing you the best of luck with your dissertation and future!

Hi Emily, I've mostly lived in cities and have greatly valued urban green spaces as for many years I did not have a garden. So I would use local parks to sit in, relax or walk. Living in cities such as London I have found green spaces to be vital to my physical and mental wellbeing. They have provided me with escape from noise and pollution.  I enjoy the natural colours of the environment in contrast to the cement and greyness of the city buildings or the artificial colours of street signs, shop fronts, billboards etc. I feel I breathe more deeply and begin to relax when I am in green spaces. The horizons are bigger, particularly when I have lived in densely built, high rise areas with few long distance views. I also find it comforting to see and hear wildlife, even in the smallest of urban spaces - bees, butterflies, birds.  And to see trees and plants growing gives me a sense of comfort in the inevitability of the seasons. I have definitely come to appreciate local green spaces even more during the lockdowns of the pandemic. They induce in me a calmness and a reassurance that not all things have changed. I have been guerrilla gardening on and off for about 15 years. I started as I am a keen gardener and when I eventually got my own garden I found I had a surplus of plants and seeds.  I collect seed from my plants and also enjoy propagating plants, but have only ever had very small urban gardens and wanted to expand!  I've lived near neglected areas which I have enjoyed revitalising with colour and plants for pollinators. I have mostly done this on my own but am hoping to find other like-minded guerrilla gardeners when we are out of lockdown and combine this with picking up litter in my local area. I would like to see all green spaces in cities protected and Councils prevented from building on them. I think local communities can do a lot if they get together to develop and cultivate neglected spaces. And I hope many people continue to use green spaces in the future as by using them we will show that we need them. I hope this reply is useful.  Wishing you the best of luck with your dissertation and future!

Thank you so much for you help! 

Pergola add to the beauty of the outdoor living space, and allow homeowners to spend more time outdoors. A garden pergola feels as comfortable as the indoor living area, especially when it has seats and couches similar to the indoor space. Hardwood garden gates are functional as they are attractive. Homeowners can choose wooden gates near me to match with the picket fencing and the driveway gates in a home. Looking to expand the outdoor living space with garden decking installation? Wood decking and decking fencing can help achieve that. Decking and fencing go hand in hand as the same decking boards can be used to create a decking board fence.​Fence installation is a delicate process as the fence must be functional and attractive. To do that, homeowners need the best Northampton fence company.