Sheffield Winter Garden is home to 2,500 plants which are encapsulated in one of the largest glasshouses in Europe.

Located in Sheffield City Centre, the Winter Garden was designed by Pringle Richards Sharratt, a London-based architectural firm. The vast array of tropical plants which have been sourced from across the globe have attracted visitors since the building was opened by Queen Elizabeth II back in 2003.

Regardless of where you happen to live in the world, there is a lot that the Winter Garden in Sheffield has not only to offer, but also to teach us. Specifically, how we can make our cities more inviting places to be. 

During a weekend off from writing content for the EcoSend newsletter and blog, I was lucky enough to be able to visit the Winter Gardens.

Based on my experience, I want to share some thoughts on how the attractions' positive impact can be replicated in any city in for the benefit of all those who live in, work in or visit your area. 

Psst: Get into the spirit of the plants on display at Sheffield Winter Garden by playing this rainforest soundtrack as you read. 🐍 🎵

You Can Build A Tropical Oasis In The Heart Of An Urban Landscape

Our cities are not places we immediately associate with nature. Instead, it is usually the case that we have to leave the leafier locations behind as a trade-off for opportunity. But not in Sheffield. 

Once known as the ‘Steel City’ due to its long history of steel making, Sheffield has since adopted a new moniker of ‘Outdoor City’, as a quarter of the city is located within the dramatic rolling hills of the Peak District.

Sheffield is one of the best examples, certainly close to me at least, that I think could be a blueprint for any city around the world. In other words, rip the rulebook up of what we expect of ‘city life’ and instead get planting. 

This is especially pertinent given so many of our towns and cities have lost their industries. With plants literally signifying green shoots, they can be used to inspire and create optimism. Even in unexpected locations.

Nature Needs To Be Accessible To Everyone 

The Winter Gardens’ accessibility extends to the broadest of terms. Beyond having step-free access and being free to visit, there is also an incredibly relaxed and welcoming atmosphere here. 

Even if you don’t know anything about plants, you won’t be made to feel out of place. A sense of inclusiveness matters more than you think in terms of getting people to engage with nature so that they can fully understand the need to help the planet. 

After all, if you don’t see yourself reflected in something, you are unlikely to take an interest in it. So it’s important that we don’t create barriers when we want people to support a cause. 

Most importantly, the environment isn’t ‘someone else's problem to solve’—we all live on Earth so the climate crisis is actually everyone’s problem. 

We Need To Be Able To Disconnect From WiFi By Connecting With Nature 

According to Statista, the average person now spends 6 hours and 35 minutes a day on the internet. 

In 2022, McKinsey Health conducted a study of 15,000 workers across 15 countries. Their research found that a quarter of employees experienced burnout symptoms. Another study by Mental Health America found that 76% of employees reported workplace stress affected their mental health. 

A few years ago I wrote a book about designing for wellbeing, including how biophilic design is an essential component for promoting both good physical and mental health. The architect who I worked with on the book told me about projects where greenery in hospitals had been used to help patients recover faster, as well as improve productivity within corporate environments. 

Given how wired we all are to our devices these days—it’s never been more important to learn the art of switching off. 

While I did take a few snaps on my phone as you can see from this post, most of my time in the Winter Garden was spent quietly thinking to myself. Benches were scattered around the building where people could do the same, or bury themselves in a book.

Every city needs a similar type of space, so that the working week and all its stresses and strains can truly be left behind. 

Maintaining Parks And Green Spaces Can Reduce Crime

If we want to make our towns and cities inviting places to spend time in, then greenery is the way to go. The presence of greenery in cities has even been linked to lower crime rates, according to a study by The University of Edinburgh.

Researchers aren’t sure of the specific reasons why plants lower crime. However, it is thought that plants can help us to pause and think about our decisions, lowering feelings of stress and aggression in the process. 

Science Direct reported similar findings, stating that “the presence of vegetation, particularly in public spaces, can deter crime by encouraging greater use of public space, thereby providing greater social supervision which acts to suppress criminal activity.”

Elsewhere in the UK, The Glasshouse recently won an award at the Chelsea Flower Show for its work as a social enterprise. The team works with women who have recently been released from prison by training them in horticulture. The project not only provides the participants with confidence and life skills, but has also achieved an incredible zero per cent reoffending rate. 

A Holistic Lifestyle Is Attractive To Talent

In 2020, The Guardian reported that there was a ‘steep rise’ of Londoners moving to northern cities including Sheffield. 

Beyond the obvious difference in house prices, the “the lure of a slower, less work-focused and healthier lifestyle” was cited as the main attraction for those migrating from the capital.

There are definitely some comparisons here between the greenery on display at the Winter Garden and us humans. That’s because, just like plants, we also need certain things to thrive as living beings. Sometimes, crowds, stress and pollution (things that can be associated with most cities around the world) just don’t tick those boxes.

For years, there have been articles about how city life is detrimental to health. Regardless of whether it's London or another global city, a reduced quality of life is something we’ve accepted as ‘part of the territory’ of city living. But do we have to continue to do so, or can we be inspired by nature to pivot our cities in another direction?

Previously, we’ve written about sustainable office design trends involving a biomimicry approach to design and the use of biophilia within indoor environments. 

If the approach to building our cities could focus more on the holistic needs of its citizens, we could undoubtedly make progress in many of the challenges experienced by city living. All of which can be extremely attractive to those looking to flee the ‘rat race’ in search of a better quality of life. 

We Need More Plants To Improve Air Quality

The latest figures released by the WHO have revealed that 7 million premature deaths occur annually due to air pollution. In London, the city’s air quality is linked to 1,000 hospital admissions per year. 

Though, indoor and outdoor pollution remains a worldwide problem. 

Obviously, there is a need to stop polluting the air in the first place. But there is also a requirement to nurture our air, including by embracing plants far more than we do already, especially in urban environments. 

Plants are known to remove various pollutants from the air, while trees are capable of storing carbon in their leaves and roots. Therefore, all of us need to think more about our buildings and streets, and whether they do enough to promote air quality.

Dubbed ‘the industrial English city with more trees than people’ by the BBC, Sheffield is also considered the second greenest city in the whole of Europe.

Alongside indoor potted plants, the likes of green walls, green ceilings and even moss walls can all be used to improve the air quality of buildings along with the surrounding areas. 

So if you are doing any kind of construction or renovation work, plants should definitely feature as part of your plans. Quite literally, you can take a leaf out of Sheffield’s book here! 

Biodiversity Should Be A Priority Rather Than An Afterthought 

We don’t do enough to learn about biodiversity, let alone actively encourage it. 

In recent years, the UK Government has toughened its stance on new developments and biodiversity. 

Specifically, they state “Biodiversity Net Gain requires development to avoid harm to nature, but where that is unavoidable, developers must create new habitats or enhance existing ones either within the site itself or by investing in nature sites elsewhere.”

While acknowledging the need to protect the environment is encouraging, generally speaking, we don’t associate new developments of any type with improved biodiversity. 

For example, the soil surrounding new build homes is notoriously poor. Often the soil has been compacted with heavy machinery and can even be full of builder’s rubble, according to the RHS. This means you can buy a house with a garden but nothing will grow in the soil. Perhaps we can do better here? 

Sheffield Winter Garden is a testament to how development and nature can be fused together to create a positive outcome, rather than considering both as separate entities. Anyone who builds anything can definitely learn something here. 

Community Engagement Matters 

Eagle-eyed readers of the EcoSend Weekly will recognise the following quote by Kira Simpson from The Green Hub: 

“Spend some time outdoors exploring where you live. When you love your home, you’ll fight harder to protect it.” 

It’s true that we are unlikely to care about our local environment if we don’t understand its value. Community engagement can change this. 

Beyond the Winter Garden, Sheffield’s local community also hosts the vibrant Pollen Market which is an outdoor market dedicated to plants. 

This kind of initiative is yet another way that councils and communities can engage as many people as possible with the environment. All while encouraging a wider benefit in terms of improving wellbeing not just though plants, but also because of the opportunity to network and meet new people. 

Every City Should Be Doing Sheffield’s Grey To Green Scheme

Outside of the Winter Garden, it was difficult to miss the vibrant array of plants that seemed to fill every pocket around the city centre. I later discovered this was part of Sheffield’s ‘Grey to Green’ scheme. 

Described as the “UK’s longest ‘green street’ corridor and largest retrofit sustainable urban drainage scheme (SuDs)”— the urban planting initiative has created large swathes of open and industrial spaces where walking and cycling are encouraged. 

Given the decline of the high street especially, schemes such as this can turn what otherwise would feel like barren, even oppressive spaces into optimistic and energising places to be.

Transit Hubs Don’t Have To Feel Taxing 

It’s not a view you fully appreciate until you are walking back to catch your train, but Sheffield Station is equally surrounded by an endless sea of green. 

Having travelled through various airports and train stations around the world over the years, I can’t always say that sense of calm has been felt. But what if these busy spaces were redesigned, so that nature, and ultimately, a sense of wellbeing was made a focus? 

The main footbridge through the station itself is actually a public right of way. Continue along the bridge and on the other side is Sheffield Amphitheatre, which plays host to various events throughout the year. 

On the day I visited, its curved stone seating was being used to house various sun worshippers as they overlooked views of the city from the vantage point of the hill. Also in view was Sky Edge Playing Fields, a site covering almost 50 acres that has been designated for walkers and runners. 

So maybe it’s time our transit hubs didn’t stress us as we go from A to B. Plants could definitely help with that. 

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