St John Street: London’s Newest Park

Nearly 9 months on from the start of the construction of the greening project on St John Street, we are very happy with the outcome!

We started a campaign to transform St John Street into a street park in 2022 and we are thrilled that it has been brought to fruition.

It has become a vibrant space used by many who work in the area and if you pass around midday you can see people sitting down and enjoying their lunch, talking to friends and colleagues.

From an extremely wide grey space, which was under-used and unattractive, to the green, pedestrianised area which it is today, it is truly incredible to see how much character this regeneration project has brought to St John Street. A wide pavement has been added on the south side of the street which means that the crossing distance is shorter and there is a new, longer cycle lane. Both of these improvements have made the street safer and more welcoming for pedestrians and cyclists.

Car traffic going down St John Street has also been reduced by a one-way system, which has been implemented this past year. The new trees and flowers which have been planted help to make our area cleaner and a more pleasant place to spend time.

Before:

After:

It is great to see the real impact that our campaign has had on the local community and we hope for the creation of many more successful street parks in the future!

The creation of green spaces like this are part of a wider project by the City of London to make Smithfield more of a pedestrian-friendly destination.