2 December 2014 Last updated at 23:02 GMT
Thomas Heatherwick, creator of the London 2012 cauldron, says the Â£175m footbridge will be "a place to linger, and be".
The move has been criticised for the bridge's cost and location. It still requires approval from the Mayor of London.
The designer of a garden bridge given planning consent says it will "stitch London together".