Planting the Aire formed part of a feasibility report for Allied London, which looked at attracting more visitors and increasing the footfall at Leeds Dock. Leeds Dock was built in 1843 and primarily used to bring coal from collieries around Rothwell and Wakefield to supply heavy industries in Leeds.

The Dock is located to the South of the city and takes 20 minutes to walk there from the bottom of town. Although only a short distance, footfall is lower compared to other parts of the city. Leeds Dock is a mixed development with retail, office and leisure and is home to a number of large named employers such as Sky.

The report proposed an artistic intervention (Lilly pads) that acted as a way finding device and trail to lead visitors along the river from the city to the Dock. At the end of the trail, water lilies would guide visitors to a rewilded swimming pond in the old Dock.

The new swimming pond would form a new destination to attract visitors and the peoples of Leeds.