Green, Inclusive and Local: Wolves Lane Centre Revives a North London Neighbourhood

Target 11.3 – Enhance inclusive, participatory and sustainable urban development

In the Wood Green neighbourhood of North London, tucked between housing estates and busy roads, stood a forgotten place. The Wolves Lane Horticultural Centre had once been a thriving nursery run by the local authority. But by 2015, the gates were locked, the buildings were crumbling, and the surrounding community, one of London’s most diverse and underserved, had no access to what should have been a public asset.

That’s when a group of local organisations came together and asked a different question: what if this wasn’t just a neglected council property? What if it could become a hub for food, education, sustainability and belonging?

From that question came action. Groups like The Ubele Initiative, Black Rootz, and OrganicLea brought together their knowledge of food justice, youth empowerment and cooperative land use. Rather than wait for outside funding or council-led redevelopment, they stepped in and reclaimed the site from the bottom up.

What followed was not a glossy regeneration scheme. It was a process rooted in local voice, shared leadership, and physical labour. The buildings were retrofitted using straw-bale insulation, locally milled timber and reused rubble. Rainwater harvesting systems were installed. Raised beds and polytunnels were built for growing produce. Old greenhouses were revived. And everything was done with climate in mind: low-carbon construction, circular materials, and shared ownership.

But infrastructure was only half the story.

The Wolves Lane Centre was designed to be governed by its users. That meant no single organisation was in charge. Instead, a multi-stakeholder partnership was formed, with responsibilities, and power, distributed between local groups. Decision-making became transparent. Budgets were co-managed. And space allocation was based on need and contribution, not hierarchy.

Over time, the centre became a living example of inclusive and participatory urban transformation.

Young people from nearby estates came to learn gardening, construction and carpentry skills. Community members joined cooking workshops, food-growing clubs and composting sessions. Children visited from schools to learn about pollinators, climate change and healthy soil. Retired residents became mentors. Migrants and refugees began to treat the space as a place of welcome. And those who had once felt left out of development conversations suddenly found themselves helping to shape one.

By 2022, the centre was hosting dozens of regular programmes, from permaculture training to mentoring networks, youth leadership courses, repair cafés, and weekend food markets. Produce grown on site was sold locally or distributed to low-income families. Volunteers helped design and build new additions to the site. A greenhouse once filled with weeds now held an edible forest in progress.

Crucially, the centre didn’t just serve the community, it was owned and operated by the community. That is what made it resilient. When funding was uncertain, the people who used it didn’t walk away. They adapted. They fundraised. They kept going.

The Wolves Lane story isn’t about rapid transformation. It’s about careful, shared, persistent effort. It didn’t come from developers or politicians. It came from neighbours. And because of that, the changes are still there, rooted in the people, not just the plan.

This is what SDG 11.3 looks like in the real world. Urban land isn’t just about value. It’s about voice. And when residents are invited to lead, they don’t just improve a space, they protect it, grow it, and make it theirs.

Your Voice. Your Target. Your Legacy.

If your city, school or community wants to turn under-used space into something that serves everyone, begin with the people who already live there. Open the gate. Share the power. Design together. Build slowly. Let it reflect real lives, not just blueprints.

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