Green spaces play a crucial role in promoting environmental sustainability, improving public health and well-being, enhancing social cohesion, and contributing to the overall quality of life in communities. This was especially evident during the recent Covid-19 pandemic.
That’s why at Elements Edinburgh we’ve prioritised open spaces to provide an established green network throughout the development offering residents access to play areas, a skate park and a community orchard at the same time as providing nature networks and ‘pollinator pathways’ by including planting along all of our streets. Our landscaped open spaces will account for 46% of the available land, including a new 11-acre Gogar Burn Park, a 3-acre neighbourhood park and over 6-acres of rain gardens, all built to be accessible and allow open access to all regardless of age, gender or ability.
Gogar Burn Park
The largest park on site sits alongside the Gogar burn and is home to a play area, multi-use games area, skate park and a community orchard. The park will be informal with a variety of planted spaces, some will be lawned, but most will richly be planted with Scottish native grasses, trees and wildflowers, species which are ‘on the edge’, species which encourage the formation of new and improved habitats while also increasing biodiversity.
We’ll prioritise protecting and improving the existing natural habitats provided by the Gogar Burn and the existing established woodlands.
Throughout the park there will be a network of accessible pedestrian and active travel routes to provide easy access to all areas of the development and beyond to Edinburgh Gateway, West Craigs South, the Airport and West Town Edinburgh.
Neighbourhood Park
This centrally located park will provide a green local centre to the development, offering a focal point for a range of gatherings and activities, with retail units at ground floor level and large open spaces offering the perfect location for local events such as farmers’ markets’ and open-air cinema to take place. In contrast to the Gogar Burn Park the neighbourhood park will have a more urban feel with carefully designed hard landscaping integrating the retail and food outlets and active travel routes.
Planting in this area will of course be native and will provide attractive seasonal colour to soften and animate the park making it welcoming for residents and visitors alike.
As with the Gogar Burn Park the neighbourhood park will also have a network of pedestrian pathways, as well as a segregated cycle route providing a direct route through the site away from cars.
Rain Gardens
As well as parks, the site will also benefit from raingardens which form the spine of the development. These accommodate a segregated active travel route alongside diversely planted green spaces and pedestrian routes.
Along this spine, there will be scope for pocket parks and seating, allowing this area to become an active open space providing more opportunities for people to come together as a community.
Within our plans every home will be a maximum of a 5-minute walk from Gogar Burn Park and all residential blocks will lie directly adjacent to quality green space, either Gogar Burn Park, the Neighbourhood Park, or the Raingarden Spine meaning everyone has easy access to nature and opportunities for social interaction on their doorstep.
For more information on the social benefits of urban parks check out our blog and report on the topic at https://www.elementsedinburgh.com/the-social-benefit-of-urban-parks/
