Spaces to breathe: the case for inclusive outdoor design

Spending time outdoors can improve our physical health, reduce stress, build community and deepen our emotional connection to the world around us. But for many people, barriers appear long before they arrive - in the decision to visit, the journey to get there, and the feeling that a green space simply isn’t for them. So how do we make nature truly accessible from the very first point of contact? In this episode we explore the full inclusive journey to nature - from pre-visit information and representation, to on-site infrastructure, sensory friendly play areas, and the emotional connections that keep people coming back. We talk about lived experience, dignity, community, and why accessible design in outdoor spaces is as much about cultural welcome as it is about physical access. Our first guests are Ellen Devine, Wellbeing Projects Manager, and Kate Allan, Programme Manager for the Defra-funded Access for All programme, both at Forestry England. Ellen’s focus is on connecting people with forests for their health and wellbeing, while Kate is leading a £3 million investment to improve the accessibility of the nation’s forests - from Changing Places toilets and mobility scooters to inclusive play areas and PECS communication boards. Together they share how co-design with disabled visitors and their families has shaped real, life-changing improvements across Forestry England sites. We’re also joined by Amber Merrick-Potter, Public Engagement Producer at the National Trust. Amber leads on public engagement and nature connection programmes including the Trees of Hope project - the initiative that saw 49 saplings grown from the felled Sycamore Gap tree gifted to communities across the UK. She is also a Churchill Fellow who has researched and written extensively on best practice in nature connection. We discuss how the Sensory Trust’s Access Chain model reveals the barriers that exist at every stage of a visit to nature - and why organisations too often jump straight to the on-site experience without addressing the decision-to-visit stage. Kate shares how inclusive research with one family transformed the design of a Changing Places facility at Thetford Forest, while Amber explains how the National Trust’s Blossom programme and Go Jauntly Naturehood walks bring nature into inner-city communities. Ellen makes the accessibility ROI case for nature - showing how emotional connection with the natural environment drives both wellbeing and pro-environmental behaviour. We also hear about Forestry England’s Virtual Forests hub, which brings nature to people who can’t physically get outdoors, and why cross-sector partnership - across transport, health, education and the natural environment - is essential to making inclusive placemaking in green spaces the norm rather than the exception. A warm, hopeful and deeply practical conversation about moving beyond simply opening gates - and creating outdoor spaces where everyone feels welcome, represented and able to belong. You can read the complete episode transcript and explore additional resources here: https://mimagroup.com/the-redesign-podcast -- Mima is a human-centric, inclusive design consultancy specialising in helping clients improve customer experience across transport and destinations. Led by research, we consult on strategy, improve accessibility and help your customers find their way. https://mimagroup.com/