Radnor Street Gardens

Radnor Street Gardens is a small green space surrounded by two high-rise and one low-rise estate. It was a bleak spot used mainly by dog walkers. One resident even always drove the few yards to work in Ironmonger Row Baths because she did not feel safe walking down Radnor Street, a rat run lined with parked cars.

The road has been remodelled to reduce traffic to a trickle, and sight lines have improved by removing parking bays and increasing visibility into the park.

The park has been landscaped to create a clear path through which encourages pedestrians to use it as a short cut. The park feels safer and more integrated into the estates, with new facilities like table tennis attracting a better range of age groups.

The area feels a lot more tranquil. In 2009, a resident from one of the towers said: “I’ve heard joyful sounds coming from the gardens throughout the summer holidays.”

Gardens design by Breeze Landscape Architects. Radnor Street concept design by Atkins. Detailed design by London Borough of Islington.

Before the improvements

Radnor Street Gardens before the improvements
Photo by Liz Kessler

After the improvements

Radnor Street Gardens after the improvements
Photo by Jane Sebire