How green rooftops and vertical gardens are transforming London
From green roofs to a living bridge, London is introducing nature to the concrete jungle in unorthodox ways, writes Daniel Allen
What do an inner city law firm's office, a proposed bridge over the River Thames and a 160-metre skyscraper in the shape of a giant walkie-talkie have in common?
Apart from being located in London, they all support (or will do soon) a surprisingly diverse range of life - and we're not talking suited and booted office workers.
Energised perhaps by Garden Bridge - billed as "a walk through the woods spanning one of the greatest rivers in the world"; planning application for which was approved in December - London now finds itself "greening" in unorthodox ways. From living walls and vertical vegetable patches to rooftop apiaries, plant power is taking the British capital by storm (with a little help from the insects).
Not so long ago, an aerial view of London - once dubbed the Big Smoke - would have revealed a never-ending succession of dreary grey rooftops and chimneys, punctuated by the occasional spire, tower block or television mast. But the skyline is becoming increasingly verdant. A 2013 map produced by the Greater London Authority shows 700 green roofs in central London alone, covering an area of more than 17.5 hectares (that's 25 football pitches), with many more in the pipeline.
In 2011, Mayor Boris Johnson set a target of increasing green space in London by at least 5 per cent by 2030, and a further 5 per cent by 2050. A growing number of the city's businesses and homes appear to be taking the British capital's mop-haired honcho to heart.
