South Leytonstone is located at the southern tip of Waltham Forest, positioned between two distinct landscapes: the wetlands and marshes of the Lee Valley and the woodlands and open green spaces of Epping Forest. Our strategy focused on strengthening connections between these landscapes — bringing their ecological richness and distinct character closer to local neighbourhoods while enhancing permeability, connectivity, and local identity. We proposed a series of interventions linked by strategic active travel corridors that provide safer, greener routes between neighbourhood streets, local landscapes, and high street environments.

Measures include rain gardens, permeable surfaces, new street trees and wildlife habitats, blended crossings, raised carriageway tables, extended green spaces, and new pocket parks — all aimed at creating a more connected and climate-resilient environment. This is reinforced through a coordinated materials strategy that prioritises reuse, de-paving, and a consistent palette of natural, recycled, and low-impact materials.

The programme of over twenty phased projects delivers improvements across residential streets, road junctions, school gateways, and modal filter areas, while enhancing existing public spaces. Eleven of these will be delivered in the first phase, scheduled for summer 2025. These site-specific interventions aim to create more liveable streets by introducing new planting and tree canopy cover, improving connectivity, incorporating SuDS features, and providing spaces to play, rest, and gather.

At Woodhouse Road, we collaborated with young people from the local school through a series of design sessions to co-create a new ‘school gateway’. Together, we explored local ecosystems and considered opportunities for multi-species encounters. The result is a welcoming and accessible entrance featuring playful paving, a green corridor of rain gardens, informal play elements, and seating.

The project was developed in collaboration with the London Borough of Waltham Forest Highways team and sits within the South Leytonstone Low Traffic Neighbourhood (LTN), part of the council’s wider initiative to create safer, greener streets.