Pocket Gardens for Resilient Schools

This project creates a pocket garden in an Islington school to combat urban heat, enhance resilience, and inform policy through community collaboration, research, and climate-adaptive design.

This project addresses the impact of urban heat islands (UHI) on children by developing a pocket garden in an Islington school as a proof of concept for climate-resilient green infrastructure. Running from October 2024 to July 2025, the project will assess green space availability, identify intervention areas, and co-design and implement a garden with school and community input. It aims to enhance climate resilience, improve school environments, and foster collaboration between academia, local authorities, and communities. Outputs include a peer-reviewed publication and policy workshops to inform urban planning and environmental health strategies.

The project will evaluate success through quantitative metrics, community feedback, and academic dissemination, offering a replicable model for other urban schools. By integrating environmental justice, education, and public health, this initiative contributes to equitable climate adaptation and promotes child wellbeing in urban settings.