Indwe Park is a new urban space that will bring a calm to inner city life; the garden is filled with indigenous plants that also boost healing and well-being.
Braamfontein, South Africa (08 September 2022) – Johannesburg’s Braamfontein has always been a haven for the arts, defined by creativity, shopping, café culture, nightlife, and youthful energy. Indwe Park, a new 4-hectare urban park directly opposite Wits University and Liberty’s offices, is all about celebrating the area while also promoting holistic well-being.
In Xhosa, Indwe refers to our beautiful national bird, the Blue Crane. The park is a fitting tribute to South Africa’s natural beauty and heritage, as well as its people and biodiversity. Liberty’s goal is to bring nature and wellness together.
Urban parks are important for combating pollution, supporting biodiversity in urban areas, regulating temperature and humidity, and reducing wind and noise pollution.
“We created a ‘green lung’, a safe space where people come to connect with nature and their communities” says Liberty Two Degrees CEO Amelia Beattie.
Preserving biodiversity allows cities to create safe and healthy recreational spaces, which is also beneficial for mental well-being. Indwe Park consists of indigenous medicinal plants and trees that attract a variety of animals, including birds and insects, which are important for ecosystem services. Ecosystem services are the benefits that humans get from healthy ecosystems, for example, pollination, flood prevention, recreation and cultural benefits.
Beattie says the park has a variety of elements that celebrate people, local artists, animals, and plants, as well as connecting and creating little spaces where people can congregate and celebrates our heritage. This park is the first of many initiatives by Liberty aimed at creating spaces that are geared towards the enhancement of holistic well-being.
“Every tree has a story, every seat has a story, the way the water flows has a story. We hope that these stories will encourage government, businesses, and communities to create more green spaces,” she says.
We encourage you to visit the Liberty Indwe Park and to visit green spaces in your neighbourhoods.
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