We are working across London to provide ambitious improvements to the network of public spaces, from the doorstep to the street, parks and landscapes.

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