Urban Trees
Greening Tower Hamlets
London Borough of Tower Hamlets
Trees for Cities has a long-standing relationship with Tower Hamlets Council and the borough’s residents. Tower Hamlets is a key target area of ours, with one of the lowest tree canopy cover densities across all of London.
We've worked on 11 projects in Tower Hamlets since 2019, including successive planting in Victoria Park and new hedgerows in Mile End Park.
We live in the high rise next to the park, and when we looked out the window the kids went ‘mummy can we go plant a tree, please’. So we put our wellies on and got stuck in! It’s nice to get a bit of nature in the city centre as well.
Nasima, local resident near Jolly's Green
Growing a greener Tower Hamlets
13720
total number of trees we've planted in Tower Hamlets as of 2024
Through our street tree sponsorship scheme, Trees for Streets, 129 sponsors have helped plant 388 trees around the borough, from busy commercial roads in Whitechapel to residential streets in Bow.
Tackling the issue of air pollution
We're proud to be able to support the Tower Hamlets Council's commitment to creating a greener, healthier borough. A key part of this commitment is their Air Quality Action Plan (2022-2027), which sets out action the council is taking to improve air quality in the borough.
In collaboration with Tower Hamlets, Dr James Levine and Treeconomics, we've released a guide for the borough that explores targeted opportunities for future green infrastructure with a focus on urban outdoor air pollution.
Planting for Roadside Air Quality Guide
Tower Hamlets has the fifth worst air quality of any London borough, causing children living within its boundaries to have up to 5% less lung capacity than the national average.
This guide provides in-depth research into the strategic planting of trees and greenery as a way to help mitigate the harmful impact of air pollutants, as well as provide a helpful framework for other councils to emulate.
Find out moreHighlighted projects
Growing greener communities
Malmesbury Estate, London
Situated in Bow, London, we set out to green the Malmesbury Estate to make it a healthier and happier place to live for local residents.
A jolly day of tree planting in Jolly’s Green
23 October 2019
Jolly’s Green in Tower Hamlets holds a special place in our hearts - we planted trees here 20 years ago, and this month we went back to plant more!
Clean Air Day 2024 - Interview with Dr James Levine
17 June 2024
Clean air is essential for our well-being. But what is air pollution, and how do we reduce it in our towns and cities? We asked air quality expert, Dr James Levine.
Volunteer stories: Ana's first time tree planting
21 October 2024
Our volunteer, Ana Barros, shares her experience planting a tree for the first time at our community planting event in Mile End Park last season.
Donate to Trees for Cities and together we can create leafy, liveable cities now and for future generations.
Donate