Designing more inclusive and accessible green spaces in Kingston
Why Inclusive Green Spaces Matter
Green spaces – parks, commons, gardens and woodlands – are crucial areas within our urban environments. They offer not only sanctuaries for wildlife and space for our leisure, but they also provide numerous benefits to our mental and physical health, improving air quality, reducing the urban heat effect and encouraging a more active and healthy lifestyle.
However, many people, often those who could benefit the most – still face barriers to accessing and enjoying these spaces.
The Challenge in Kingston
Back in 2024, Neighbourly Lab spent the summer conducting ethnographic research into the usage of green spaces across Kingston. As part of the development of their Green Space Strategy, the Royal Borough of Kingston-upon-Thames commissioned us to identify the barriers that their residents faced in accessing green spaces in their borough.
They were particularly interested in exploring who were the groups that faced the most significant barriers, and what improvements could be made to minimise these barriers and encourage greater usage amongst marginalised and more vulnerable communities.
Our Approach
We understood that this project required the meaningful involvement of underserved communities across the borough and participatory engagement that enabled residents to co-create design interventions. To begin, we held in-depth conversations with Council officers to understand the local context, build relationships across departments and gather a rounded view of the borough’s green space priorities. This helped us align on shared goals before moving into community engagement.
Hearing Directly From Residents
We then spent significant time immersing ourselves in the community. Having built relationships with local VCS and other stakeholders, we were able to use their trusted networks to effectively engage with members of the community that the Council heard less from.
We ran several mini-groups – a smaller, more dynamic and participatory version of focus groups – with residents from underserved and vulnerable communities, including those from South Korean heritage, those with physical and learning disabilities and those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds.
We also conducted place-based walkabouts, spending time with residents in the areas they use every day. These moments were crucial in helping us see, in real terms, the barriers to accessing and using green spaces that more marginalised residents face.
Strengthening the Evidence Base
To build a more robust evidence base for these findings, we carried out a quantitative survey distributed online through Council and VCS networks, as well as in paper form through intercept interviews carried out by our research team. Through this outreach, we gathered nearly 500 responses from a diverse sample of residents across the borough, providing clearer statistical analysis of the barriers to accessing and using green spaces and ideas for improvement.
These insights were then brought into a collaborative workshop with senior Council stakeholders, to triangulate with their own experience and expertise of the local context – allowing us to refine and stress-test the emerging recommendations so they were as relevant and practical as possible.
Identifying Key Barriers
Across the research, the three core barriers that residents of Kingston faced were physical, personal and social. Within these sat a number of interconnected themes that drove lower access and usage:
- Overall, the main barriers cited across the research sample were a fear of dogs, feeling unsafe or uncomfortable and the cleanliness and maintenance of spaces, particularly of toilets.
- Young people cited not feeling safe as a main barrier to accessing green spaces, particularly in Autumn and Winter.
- People living south of the borough (from a lower socioeconomic background) and those with a health problem or disability were less likely to use green spaces.
What It Takes to Make Green Spaces Truly Accessible
Although the findings and recommendations from this project were not necessarily radical, they highlighted something important: to make nature truly accessible to all, green spaces must not only be physically reachable but also feel welcoming.
This means:
- Directly and meaningfully engaging with local communities to understand what kinds of activities they’d like to see in their green spaces.
- Ensuring entrances, exits and pathways are physically accessible – designed inclusively to accommodate those with additional access needs.
- Considering both the physical and social infrastructure that helps residents feel comfortable and able to participate
This work has deepened our understanding of what residents need to thrive in their local areas — and how thoughtful design can bring more people into the natural spaces that benefit them most.
To find out more about our work making services and spaces more accessible and inclusive, please email marnie@neighbourlylab.com