A People’s Vision for the People’s Forest

About 

Epping Forest has a history of people coming together to take action

In 1878, the Epping Forest Act was passed. The result of fierce campaigning by local communities, alongside the work of the early campaigners for open spaces and the City of London Corporation, the Act forever protects Epping Forest land from development and forever secures public right of access.  

Since the Act, Epping Forest has embodied the power of communities to think about their future and take action. The results speak for themselves: as we draw closer to the 150th anniversary of the Act in 2028, the Forest – as a running route, a spot to walk the dog, catch up with friends and family, or a space for quiet contemplation – continues to play a significant role in the lives of its 10 million annual visitors. 

Attendees adminring the ancient trees at Ambresbury Banks, an iron-age hill fort, during the Epping Forest Big Walk 2026. Photo by YuLeng

The Forest’s ongoing importance is set against an uncertain future

Many different possibilities lie ahead, as the ecological and social impacts of climate change, expanding urban spaces and a myriad of other changes in how people connect with each other and the world, continue to be felt and understood.  

Nevertheless, we believe that, by thinking through the myriad ways in which people see, understand and are inspired by the Forest, we can provide space for imagining the Forest, and its role, in this future.  

What is the People’s vision for the future of the People’s Forest?

Therefore, ahead of the 150th anniversary of the Act, whose programme of celebratory events are being led by the City of London Corporation, we want to engage local people, communities and stakeholders around Epping Forest in a variety of ways, capturing how they envision the Forest in the year 2078, the Act’s 200th anniversary, and perhaps beyond. How would different people want the Forest to look in 50 years? How would different people imagine their own future experiences of the Forest? Or those of their children or grandchildren? What wildlife and plants might you come across in the Forest in 2078? 

To help inform responses we will share insight from people specialist in doing future thinking, and examples of other similar pieces of work.  

In due course we will publish this People’s Vision for the People’s Forest, which we hope will help us, the City of London Corporation and other stakeholders, think about the kind of future for the Forest which we should work to help create.  

Timeline

• Autumn 2026: Project Begins with an open call for thoughts and ideas 
• Winter/Spring 2027: Surveys and workshops 
• Summer 2027: Reflections on findings 
• Autumn 2027: Publication launch

Help us shape the Vision

We want to put people’s relationship with the Forest at the heart of our methodology, using this to help build our survey and shape our upcoming workshops. With this in mind, we are inviting people to send in thoughts, feelings or memories which testify to their relationship to the Forest, past and present, as well as any first thoughts about a vision for the future.

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