Clarion Housing
Clarion Housing Group
2024 - 2025
WildE3: Greening a housing estate to boost nature connection and wellbeing
Assessing how biodiversity improvements and nature engagement activities across a housing estate in Bow are affecting residents' wellbeing, nature connection and awareness of local wildlife.
Aewell
Purpose
Residents in Bow have a reduced connection to the natural world and are at increased risk of mental health problems due to living in a densely populated and deprived urban area. Tranquil City worked with Clarion Housing to assess the impact of WildE3, a GLA-funded project delivering biodiversity improvements and community engagement activities across small green spaces on the Clarion Estate. Using our wellbeing impact assessment framework, we measured changes across seven themes, including landscape, habitat, environmental quality, access to nature, use and behaviour, inclusivity, and health and wellbeing.
Approach
Conducted GIS desktop analysis using secondary data sources, including Census, air quality and noise mapping, to establish baseline environmental conditions across the estate.
Deployed a mixed-mode assessment combining resident surveys, self-guided nature walk packs and event surveys to capture attitudes, behaviours and wellbeing changes at the individual and community level.
Commissioned expert site surveys and ecology assessments to validate habitat mapping and measure biodiversity net gain from the interventions.
Delivered nature walk packs in both English and Bengali to encourage participation from Bow's diverse community.
Results
The assessment found that the biodiversity interventions and engagement activities improved residents' wellbeing, nature connection and awareness of local wildlife, even before the plantings were fully established.
106 participants across all survey types, with 27% of walk pack participants from Asian, Asian British or Bangladeshi backgrounds
Residents were 13% happier, 17% more relaxed and 25% more connected to nature after experiencing the interventions
93% felt green spaces contribute to their mental health
26% reported being more willing to care for local green spaces after attending workshops
+21% increase in knowledge of local wildlife and +17% increase in biodiversity awareness
2% Biodiversity Net Gain achieved, with 28 trees planted, 221m of hedgerows, 6,097m² of flower-rich planting and 1,954m² of new food growing areas
40 bird, bat and insect homes installed across the estate
The project now delivers 18 out of 20 of Clarion's Nature Actions, demonstrating measurable policy impact
The project won a Nature & Biodiversity Award in 2025.