The Mayor’s Great Spaces initiative is part of London’s Great Outdoors an ambitious programme for improving public spaces in London being driven forward by the Mayor.

The Mayor’s Great Spaces Initiative aims to ensure that public space projects are excellently designed and that the right resources are in place to for them to be delivered to the highest standard.

As part of the initiative projects receive design advice from Design for London, some receive grant funding to support design and all benefit from lessons learned from the other projects that are part of the initiative.

The Mayor's Great Spaces celebrates and supports the good work being done across London to improve public places. It embraces projects at any stage of their development, including those already part of other public space initiatives.

Design for London lead the Mayor's Great Spaces on behalf of the Mayor.

An invitation to join the initiative in 2009 was enthusiastically received, 125 projects were put forward by London boroughs. The Mayor's Great Spaces Panel, together with Design for London, assessed and shortlisted entries against strategic aims, performance criteria and delivery expectations. The Mayor endorsed the 36 shortlisted projects.

A Design Support Seminar was held at the London Living Room, City Hall, on Monday 8th February 2010 to provide an opportunity to learn about the Great Spaces Initiative and to discuss the challenges of delivering excellent public space projects. The Mayor welcomed the attendees, a key note speaker, the historian Dr. Tristram Hunt, presented a critique of London’s public realm and a panel of experts, chaired by Fred Manson, received questions exploring the delivery of projects.

All video links from the Mayor’s Great Spaces Design Support Seminar can be viewed here.

The Design Support Seminar programme can be downloaded here.

A Showcase Day was held on Tuesday 19th October to provide an opportunity to learn from projects being supported through the initiative. Three successful case studies were presented in detail; lead officers, designers and contractors working on these projects showcased their work. Sir Terry Farrell presented his view on High Streets as the key note speaker. In the afternoon 17 projects were introduced by their designers, this was followed by a discussion and closing remarks from Ben Plowden of Transport for London.

Video links from the Mayor’s Great Spaces Showcase Session can be viewed here and case study presentations can be viewed here.

The Showcase day programme can be downloaded here and the Mayor's Great Spaces project case studies can be downloaded here.

Projects being supported by the Mayor's Great Spaces Initiative:

1. Ponders end - LB Enfield

2. Tottenham High Road - LB Haringey

3. High Street Life in Waltham Forest - LB Waltham Forest

4. Seven Kings Revival - LB Redbridge

5. Abbey Green - LB Barking and Dagenham

6. Barking Town Centre - LB Barking and Dagenham

7. Rainham to the River - LB Havering

8. Canning Town A13 Junction - LB Newham

9. The FatWalk - LB Tower Hamlets

and LB Newham

10. Woolwich squares - LB Greenwich

11. Cutty Sark Gardens - LB Greenwich

12. Deptford to New Cross Links - LB Lewisham

13. Bromley North Village - LB Bromley

14. Central Parade, New Addington - LB Croydon

15. Wellesley Road and West Croydon - LB Croydon

16. Sutton High Street - LB Sutton

17.Tolworth Broadway - RB Kingston upon Thames

18. Kingston Market Place - RB Kingston upon Thames

19. Norwood Road - LB Lambeth

20. Windrush Square - LB Lambeth

21. Waterloo Square - LB Lambeth

22. Bankside Urban Forest - LB Southwark

23. Park Royal Southern Gateway - LB Ealing

24. King Street - LB Hammersmith and Fulham

25. Exhibition Road - RB Kensington and Chelsea and City of Westminster

26. Cavendish Square - City of Westminster

27. St Giles Circus - LB Camden and City of Westminster

28. King's Cross square - LB Camden

29. Golders Green Town Centre - LB Barnet

30. Highbury Corner - LB Islington

31. Farringdon Station area - LB Islington

32. St Paul's environs - City of London

33. Making Space in Dalston - LB Hackney

34. The Black Path - LB Hackney and LB Waltham Forest

35. Meridian Square - LB Newham

36. High Street 2012 - LB Tower hamlets and LB Newham