A City of Nature – Greenground Map
It may surprise you to hear that Birmingham is home to over 600 green spaces – ranging from small playing fields to expansive nature reserves, connected by our unique canal networks, rivers and walkways. Each and every one of these spaces are vital to our wellbeing, acting as spaces for us to play, socialise and make memories. We wanted a way to showcase these areas without relying on the road dominated maps we’re so used to – something that is increasingly important in the face of a changing climate.
The ‘Greenground Map’ is a design project by Helen Ilus in collaboration with Birmingham City Council and the Naturally Birmingham Project to map Birmingham’s green spaces into a creative schematic walking network. The map includes parks, open spaces, nature reserves and woods – connected by waterways, canals and walking/cycling routes to promote the use of active travel. Naturally there was no way to include all 600+ green spaces on the map, but we have tried to showcase a broad range of spaces across all of Birmingham and its surrounding areas. As well as the parks themselves, the map also includes information on a range of outdoor activities located nearby, including bouldering, bird watching, kayaking and much more!
The lines on the map link our parks in a multitude of ways, including:
Birmingham Canal Line – https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/canals-and-rivers/birmingham-canal-navigations
Tame Valley Canal Line – https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/canals-and-rivers/tame-valley-canal
Stratford (upon) Avon Canal – https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/canals-and-rivers/stratford-upon-avon-canal
Grand Union Canal Line – https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/canals-and-rivers/grand-union-canal
City Centre Cultural Route
North Worcester Walking Route
Heritage Culture trails
Monarch’s Way Walking Route
Tame River
Cole River
Rea River
South – South Birmingham Parks
North – North Birmingham Parks
Grow Lines – Connecting Community gardens
Outer Circle Bus No.11 Route – Please check with Transport For West Midlands to get up to date information. https://www.tfwm.org.uk/media/vk1h2mze/nxbus_11a_11c_11s-1.pdf
Birmingham – This line links other lines to provide circular walking routes.
In regards to creating the map for Birmingham, Helen states: “The Birmingham map has been one of the most challenging, but also one of the most vibrant and exciting maps I have ever made. Birmingham is uniquely diverse with mixture of green spaces and a fabulous canal network that everyone has access to on foot or by bike. There’s also a wide-spread community spirit of growing together that helps people to connect with nature.”
The Greenground Map for Birmingham contains only a snapshot of the parks we have in our City, but who knows.. maybe there’s a space near you waiting to be discovered?
Download a copy of the Greenground map here:
You can also visit: https://www.birmingham.gov.uk/findapark to find out more information about parks and open spaces in Birmingham.
Or check out Ecobirmingham’s Walking and Cycling Maps: https://ecobirmingham.com/project/69wards-by-bike-or-foot/
Sorry we are currently out of stock of paper copies of the Greenground map
For more information please email: Cityofnature@Birmingham.gov.uk
Naturally Birmingham Future Parks Project 