Second year University of Greenwich landscape architecture students have collaborated with the environmental charity Trees for Cities to run an engagement workshop with year five students from Deptford Park Primary School. During the workshop the students mapped memories, activities and movement onto their playground to understand how they use or have used their playground and what could be achieved.

From this workshop, the school students, university students and the charity planted tree pits, rain gardens and flower beds using free draining soil to reduce the risk of flooding. The project is part of Trees for Cities’ Healthy Playground Project and has been designed to promote play and social seating for students in and amongst nature.

Deptford Park Primary School module Leader Meaghan Kombol said:

‘Our collaborative approach to researching and designing school grounds allowed us to co-create a project based on shared knowledge, skills and resources – helping our students address the real challenges which local communities face, including flooding, overheating and access to nature.’