Urban forests and art: the transformation of Cathedral Gardens Belfast

An eco-diverse urban forest, a safer, more inclusive public space, and a distinctly Belfast experience that tells the stories of the city via artworks, water installations, landscape features and a memorial to the Blitz bombings of 1941. These are just some of the ways our master plan for Cathedral Gardens will transform this important civic space in the heart of the city.

Now being presented for public consultation, the master plan aims to provide a space that’s greener, more sustainable, more walkable and more connected to the wider city.

Located next to Ulster University and the historic St Anne’s Cathedral, this previously neglected locale offers up a diversity of flexible new spaces ranging from expansive lawns where visitors can rest and relax to shady, tree-lined event areas for food markets, flower shows and music festivals.

The future Cathedral Gardens will also deliver a sustainable oasis of nature-inspired calm thanks in part to the planting of an urban forest designed to change with the seasons and attract local wildlife.

The forest, lawn areas and planted gardens will all be fed with rainwater that’s captured and stored on site.

Artworks spanning large installations to smaller garden art trails, an interactive water feature, audio- visual and lighting displays, and spaces for cafes and restaurants will all combine to create a dynamic, new place for people to gather, relax and play both day and night.