"The quality of people's homes is influenced by the spaces around them. There is increasing recognition that well designed, well managed green spaces by and in between housing are crucial to making neighbourhoods livable, and contribute to people's quality of life."
Neighbourhoods Green is a partnership initiative which highlights the importance of open space for residents of social housing and works with social landlords to raise the quality of their design, management and safe use.
The project provides guidance, support and tools for housing associations, local authority housing departments, arms-length management organisations (ALMOs), resident associations, community groups and their partners.
Decent homes need decent spaces is a recently produced action plan which identifies 10 key considerations for improving open space in social housing areas. A copy can be downloaded here.
We will continue to add information and resources to this website so please visit us again.
Publications
Neighbourhoods Green publications
Decent Homes Need Decent Space, CABE Space and the National Housing Federation (2010)
At workshops in London and Sheffield held by CABE Space and the National Housing Federation, a group of social landlords came together to debate the challenges and opportunities around improving open space in social housing. They developed 10 priorities for change which are identified in this practical action plan.
A Natural Estate, Natural England and Neighbourhoods Green (2007)
Evidence suggests that many residents would like to see more nature close to where they live. This guidance provides a toolkit of practical projects and case studies to enable the managers of social housing spaces to undertake simple, worthwhile and successful projects to encourage wildlife.
Areas of Opportunity, Neighbourhoods Green (2005)
Areas or Opportunity reviews the guidance and policy frameworks that surround green and open space and explores the key issues identified through a review of the literature.
Decent Homes, Decent Space, Notting Hill Housing Group and Peabody Trust (2004)
Decent Homes Decent Space follows the inaugural Neighbourhoods Green conference held in London in 2003. It explores the barriers and opportunities for green spaces in the context of social housing and offers case studies and signposting to social landlords with an interest in the design, management and safe use of spaces around residents' homes
CABE Space publications
Managing Green Space, CABE Space (December 2010)
This briefing brings together evidence to assist green space managers, corporate decision makers and advisors on the future of green space services. Seven 'ingredients for success' are outlined to meet the challenge of delivering quality services with reduced resources.
Urban Green Nation, CABE Space (March, 2010)
Compiles and analyses information on the quantity and type of green space in urban areas. The summary presents the main findings of the research and is of interest to anyone looking to understand more about England's urban green spaces. The full report can be downloaded here.
Community Green, CABE Space (July, 2010)Community Green: using local spaces to tackle inequality and improve health, investigates the relationship between urban green space, inequality, ethnicity, health and well being and is the largest study of it's kind in England.
Community Led Spaces, CABE Space (November, 2010)
A guide to issues involved in transferring ownership and management of public space from local authorities and social landlords to community groups.
It's Our Space, CABE Space (February 2007)
Guidance to help anyone involved in a public space project for the first time. It gives examples of great outdoor spaces led by community groups and highlights lessons from their experiences. It seeks to inspire people to demand better places and in doing so challenges users of this guide to think carefully about leaving a legacy of excellence in the projects that emerge.
Making contracts work for wildlife, CABE Space (June, 2006)
Guidance that advises green space professionals on how to make the most of the potential for biodiversity in our urban parks.
Start with the park, CABE Space (June, 2005)
A good practice guide for people involved in developing and managing sustainable green spaces in housing growth and housing market renewal areas. It aims to inspire strategic decision-makers working in local delivery and partnership bodies, developers, house builders, social landlords and community and voluntary groups.
Decent parks? Decent behaviour? CABE Space (April, 2005)
A report providing evidence that good design and management, not just heavy handed security measures, are the key ingredients for safer parks .
Other
Public Open Green Space Space Works, Land Restoration Trust
Bite sized information about the benefits of public open space
Making it Home: the power of landscape to create good housing. The Landscape Institute, Position statement (2010)The Landscape Institute advocates landscape as an integrating framework which will deliver sustainable communities. This position statement looks at how environmental, social and economic needs can be integrated into housing developments and provides case study examples.
Toolkits
Neighbourhoods Green
These toolkits have been developed as part of The Natural Estates project which is working with eight social landlords and residents across London to improve local estates. Read more about Natural Estates
Be Inspired Guides
Get ideas for how natural features can be used to create play spaces by reading the Be Inspired Guide to Natural Play
Get ideas to transform a small patch of ground into a food growing oasis by reading the Be Inspired Guide to Grow Your Own 
Get ideas to create your own community garden by reading the Be Inspired Guide to Community Gardening
Get ideas on how to create wildlife habitats and attract visitors to your green space by reading our Be Inspired by Local wildlife GuideHow to Guides
Download our top 5 tips on how your tenants and residents association or community group can apply for funding to get your project started. How to apply for funding
Download our top 5 tips on how to get started with growing your own fruit and vegetables and enjoy you own fresh produce. How to grow your own fruit and veg
Download our top 5 tips on how to set up a community gardening club to transform a patch of land. How to set up a community gardening club
Download our top 5 tips on how to attract wildlife to your estate to make it a haven for bees, birds and butterflies. How to attract wildlife
CABE Space
Spaceshaper - A tool to help assess the quality of public space before investing time and money into it.
Spaceshaper captures the views of professionals who are running the space as well as those of the people that use the space. Facilitated workshops discuss the results, design quality and how the space works for different people.
Spaceshaper encourages people to demand more from their local spaces.
