Urban Greenspace and People Call
Urban Greenspace & People Call
RECLAIM Network Plus has funded 9 projects via this funding call for small research projects. Each project costing approx. £40k explicitly addresses gaps in our knowledge of GBGI effectiveness against multiple outcomes, including social justice and equity.
To view these projects including highlight videos, final reports, blogs and conference presentations scroll down below.
Project Title - Investigating the Use of Co-Design to Create an Inclusive and Accessible Green Space
Tilly Collins, Centre for Environmental Policy, Imperial College London (pictured here)
Thuy Nguyen - Centre for Environmental Policy, Imperial College London
Summary - Our objective was to enhance understanding of community engagement and social inclusion in urban green space design through collaborative approaches. We conducted a dual-method study using quantitative surveys and qualitative focus groups across the UK. Survey data included responses from 423 participants regarding types of green spaces frequently used, accessibility, transportation methods, and reasons for visiting. We identified that most respondents frequently visit green spaces for pleasure (e.g., parks, playgrounds) and for physical activity. The nearest green space is typically within a 5–20-minute walk from home, and walking is the most common mode of transport. Results also revealed varied satisfaction levels: green spaces were valued for relaxation (average score 6.87), physical activity (7.25), and mental health (7.46), but less so for social gatherings (3.43).
Qualitative insights were gathered through semi-structured interviews (23 participants) and focus groups (3 groups for a total of 15 participants) which included interactive tools like Menti surveys. Both semi-structured interviews and focus groups provided more in-depth information on community preferences regarding green space features and barriers to green space use. In addition, they assessed people’s level of participation in green space initiatives. This mixed-methods approach facilitated a nuanced understanding of public needs and preferences, thus supporting the development of tailored green space strategies. By involving diverse community members and blurring the lines between researchers and participants, the project fostered a collaborative ethos, enhancing inclusivity and community ownership in green space design.
Blog Update - CLICK HERE
Conference Presentation - CLICK HERE
Final Report - CLICK HERE
URBAN GREENSPACE AND PEOPLE PROJECTS
Project Title - Community perceptions of new greenspace interventions: the case of Rhyl, North Wales
Thora Tenbrink, Bangor University (pictured here)
Sofie Roberts, Bangor University
Summary - Our objective was to analyse the ecosystem benefits of delivering new green infrastructure (GI) in Rhyl, and people’s perceptions of GI, including comparing Rhyl residents’ thoughts with UK-wide population. We did this by running five ecosystem service models, gathering social data through a national representative survey and in-person interviews with Rhyl residents.
We found that based on data for Denbighshire, one hectare of trees can provide an economic value of up to £3,669 for noise, air pollution and carbon, if planted in the right places. Our survey found that views around trees and wildflower meadows did not differ when people were given specific information about benefits, suggesting that one-off information campaigns may not change people’s existing perceptions.
We found in interview that the benefits associated with trees and wildflower meadows were important to Rhyl residents, with the effect on health and well-being (100%) and good air quality (93%) very important to those interviewed. Variables in social data included 13 survey questions (5 capturing demographic data), responses include single tick boxes, Likert scale and free-text answers. The structured interviews were organised in three parts containing a total of 57 questions. The interviews included perceptions of GI, perceived benefits of GI, and perceptions of local authority GI schemes. The social data revealed that people across the UK are very keen to adopt GI, with negative voices very much in the minority. Participants also offered specific suggestions as to where GI would be most welcome, and many wished to engage with the process.
Blog Update - CLICK HERE
Conference Presentation - CLICK HERE
Final Report - CLICK HERE
Project Title - Urban rewilding aesthetics & people's needs into multifunctional blue and green infrastructure design
Alessio Russo, University of Gloucestershire (pictured here)
Alice Goodenough, University of Gloucestershire
Adam Shepherd, University of Gloucestershire
Summary - To investigate the perceptions and approaches of local communities and authorities in the UK towards urban rewilding. A mixed-methods approach was used, including focus groups, a design workshop, a national survey with UK local authorities, and a local community survey.
Both communities and authorities had different perspectives on urban rewilding. While some recognised its benefits, others expressed concerns about its applicability in urban settings or questioned its definition. Key themes emerging from local authorities included urban exclusion, conceptual challenges, scale requirements, and rural origins. The survey revealed a range of interpretations of urban rewilding, with common themes focusing on increasing biodiversity, natural regeneration, and addressing climate change.
The research involved multiple variables, including the number of questions in the survey (e.g., definitions of rewilding, opportunities, and barriers), the nature of the questions (e.g., demographic information), and the diversity of perspectives among participants.
The study found a positive correlation between rewilding intensity and public preference, with moderately rewilded landscapes being most favoured. Intentional and well-maintained spaces, even if moderately wild, were perceived as most aesthetically appealing. The research also highlighted the importance of community engagement and addressing concerns about public access and accessibility. Finally, this study highlights the growing interest in urban rewilding and the potential for its implementation in the UK.
Blog Update - CLICK HERE
Conference Presentation - CLICK HERE
Final Report - CLICK HERE
Project Title - CoGREEN: Citizen Scientists-led Demonstration of the Multiple Co-Benefits of Green Infrastructure Intervention along the Road-Facing Perimeter
K.V. Abhijith, Global Centre for Clean Air Research (GCARE), University of Surrey
Nidhi Rawat, Global Centre for Clean Air Research (GCARE), University of Surrey
Ana Paula Mendis Emygdio, Global Centre for Clean Air Research (GCARE), University of Surrey
Charlotte Le Den, Global Centre for Clean Air Research (GCARE), University of Surrey
Kate Collins, Sandfield Primary School, Guildford
Paul Cartwright, Bracknell Forest Council, Bracknell
Kate Alger, Freelance artist-educator and local resident, Guildford
Ben McCallan, Zero Carbon Guildford, Guildford
Prashant Kumar, Global Centre for Clean Air Research (GCARE), University of Surrey
Summary - Green infrastructure (GI) is known to reduce road air pollution exposure, but their implementation in schools and associated benefits remain under-researched. In this study, two GI solutions, green screen and green gate, were co-designed and installed at a primary school in Guildford using collaborative and participatory methods.
By assessing changes in air pollution levels, noise, and public perception before and after GI installation, we aimed to understand their impact on reducing children's exposure and evaluate other co-benefits. Without considering wind direction’s effect, a maximum reduction of up to 32%, 10% and 19% in the average daily concentration of PM10 (green gate), PM2.5 (green screen) and PM1 (green gate), respectively, when compared with in-front concentration. The decay in concentration decreases with distance from the GI, and different wind directions result in varying percentage reductions in PM concentration. For the green screen, ‘parallel to the screen’ and for the green gate, ‘away from the gate’ wind directions provided the highest PM reduction. The horizontal abatement efficiency of GI varied with PM size, with the highest being PM10. Continuous monitoring behind the green screen revealed a decrease in PM concentration after installation, and this relative concentration varied from 0.29-0.90 compared to before installation. The green gate effectively lowered noise by 5dB(A), and the green screen did not report a noticeable impact on noise levels.
Most parents perceived the installation of GI in school as significantly decreasing air pollution exposure and slightly reducing noise levels, resembling the changes in their levels observed in monitoring. The successful co-creation and co-implementation of GI interventions and resulting co-benefits underscore the importance of community engagement and participatory approaches in urban planning and environmental management. This study promotes wider-scale application of innovative strategies involving local communities, stakeholders, and policymakers in implementing GI projects to ensure their sustainability and effectiveness
Press Release - CLICK HERE
Presentation - CLICK HERE
Project Title - Catchment-scale benefits (flow reduction) and dis-benefits (debris blocking risk) of green-grey infrastructure in urban rivers
Thomas Kjeldsen, University of Bath (pictured here)
Adwaye Rambojun, University of Bath
Summary - Focussing on the city of Cardiff, and in collaboration with Cardiff city flood management team, the project used a combination of land-use scenarios, hydrological modelling, and machine learning to analyse existing data and scenarios. Firstly, the benefits of green infrastructure was assessed using the urban hydrological model, ANaRM, developed by UKCEH and capable of assessing the impact of land-use change on peak flow during extreme rainfall events. A detailed land-cover map for Cardiff City and the surrounding areas was developed using Google Earth Engine. Additional modifications were made to the DTM to ensure that engineered waterways were accurately represented in the drainage pathways. A second map was developed representing the changes expected from future urban developments in the region based on existing development plans. Simulations of the different development scenarios using the ANaRM model showed that the removal of green space to allow for new developments would lead to increased flood peaks in the local areas, but not more widely across the city.
The disbenefits of green infrastructure is the potential accumulation of debris at trash screens installed in urban rivers to protect culverts from internal blocking. Using a logistic regression modelling framework in combination with 100s of labelled CCTV images of trash screens the research showed that it is possible to detect debris from images with more than 80% reliability. The research also compared the performance of alternative machine learning methods but found the logistic regression to be a good trade-off between performance, complexity and robustness when tested on different subsets of the data. The results were published in Journal of Flood Risk Management.
Blog Update - CLICK HERE
Presentation - CLICK HERE
Final Report - CLICK HERE
Project Title - Clean Air Gardens - Unveiling the Power of Domestic Gardens: Can they enhance local air quality and mitigate heat stress?
Caroline Nash, Sustainability Research Institute, UEL (pictured here)
Karina Corada-Perez, Sustainability Research Institute, UEL
Summary - Domestic gardens are well-known for enhancing mental health and well-being, but their potential to improve air quality remains underexplored. With escalating health risks from air pollution and climate change, investigating how domestic gardens can mitigate these issues is crucial. The Clean Air Garden project aims to understand the impact of different garden designs on local air quality and temperature regulation.
Eight domestic gardens in socially deprived areas with poor air quality were studied, including:
1. Open non-vegetated garden, paved ('control')
2. Open low-vegetated garden (grass).
3. Vegetated barrier garden with a hedge.
Field measurements were conducted continuously each week in each season from summer 2023 to spring 2024, measuring PM10, PM2.5, and temperature. An air pollution monitors, and temperature sensors was installed for a week in each study site, and data collection was collected for five days for temperature and three days for particulate matter.
Key findings reveal significant air quality improvements in gardens located on heavily polluted streets, with reductions of 30% for PM10 and 40% for PM2.5 (excluding spring), except in spring where concentrations increased by more than 100%, likely due to weather conditions. Less polluted areas showed no notable improvements. Vegetated gardens demonstrated PM10 and PM2.5 reductions of 76% and 80% in summer, and 42% and 30% in winter, compared to open, non-vegetated gardens. In autumn and spring, no improvement was noted.
Additionally, hedges in front of vegetated gardens enhanced temperature regulation, slightly increasing temperatures in cold months by 0.58°C and reducing them in warm months by 2°C. The study emphasises that the effectiveness of vegetated gardens in mitigating air pollution and regulating temperature depends on location.
Press Release - CLICK HERE
Conference Presentation - CLICK HERE
Final Report - CLICK HERE
Project Title - LivGBGI: Living Lab Demonstration of GBGI’s Multiple Co-benefits (heatwave, flood, drought & noise)
Sisay Debele, Global Centre for Clean Air Research (GCARE), University of Surrey
Prashant Kumar, Global Centre for Clean Air Research (GCARE), University of Surrey
Laurence Jones, UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (UKCEH)
Jeetendra Sahani, Global Centre for Clean Air Research (GCARE), University of Surrey
Soheilla Khalili, Global Centre for Clean Air Research (GCARE), University of Surrey
Ana Paula Mendis Emygdio, Global Centre for Clean Air Research (GCARE), University of Surrey
Summary - The LivGBGI project aims to provide evidence of GBGI's diverse benefits in mitigating heatwaves and associated hazards. It will evaluate direct benefits through monitoring, analyse secondary advantages through modelling, assess transferability to other areas, and develop a recommendation guide for future implementation. To address this aim monitoring and modelling (HEC-RAS) approaches were employed.
A sensor network was deployed in the Guildford Living Lab to scrutinize the effectiveness of six distinct GBGI types—woodland, grassland, pond, pocket park, green wall, and mixed—against a built-up area. Meanwhile, numerical modeling was utilized to assess their efficacy in curbing multifaceted risks. Meteorological and hydrological data sourced from the Met Office and UK National River Flow Archive facilitated the simulation of hydrological and hydraulic models, evaluating GBGIs' impact on heatwaves, droughts, river floods, and environmental noise.
Simulation scenarios, both with and without GBGI intervention, were conducted to generate an efficiency matrix reported in a time-series CSV format, detailing mean, and percentage reductions. The efficiency was quantified in terms of delta temperature reduction (∆T) in degrees Celsius (°C) for heatwaves, and in meters (m), meters per second (m/s), and cubic meters per second (m^3/s) for floodwater depth, velocity, and flow, respectively. Additionally, the environmental noise reduction efficiency of GBGI was measured in decibels (dB).
Notably, GBGI showcased significant reductions in heatwave intensity and duration, with respective decreases of 6.1°C and 5 days in 2021, and 5.2°C and 11 days in 2022. Moreover, drought risk, as measured by the Reconnaissance Drought Index, saw marked improvements, registering values of 0.64 in 2021 and 0.25 in 2022 compared to non-GBGI areas. On average, GBGI interventions reduced flood velocity, depth, and flow by 0.24m, 0.187m/s, and 15m³/s, respectively, while noise reduction stood at 15.632 decibels. These interventions positively impacted 20,826 dwellings and a population of 51,718, yielding an annual annoyance mitigation value of £4,081,790 and a health mitigation value of £729,043, culminating in a total annual mitigation value of £4,810,833. Additionally, the economic value per hectare of woodland GBGI was quantified at £65.3.
These findings underscore the imperative of integrating GBGI into urban planning strategies to bolster resilience, enhance public health, and achieve sustainable development objectives. Furthermore, the substantial economic and health benefits associated with GBGI implementations emphasise the urgency of prioritizing green infrastructure investments and fostering interdisciplinary collaborations to advance understanding and implementation of GBGI strategies.
Blog Update - CLICK HERE
Presentation - CLICK HERE
Project Title - SUPER : Small Urban Parks Environments & Residents
Jim Parker, Leeds Beckett University (pictured here)
Fiona Fylan, Leeds Beckett University
Jim McQuaid, University of Leeds
Summary - Local atmospheric conditions within small urban parks were monitored for 12 months. Monitored data were used to evaluate park conditions in the context of the wider urban environment, including grey spaces and other types of green spaces. Data was collected at a high spatial and temporal resolution to help characterize the physical benefits of the parks, along with the practical wellbeing benefits which were captured through focus groups and an online survey, culminating in a codesign workshop to better articulate the holistic benefits of the urban green spaces to end-users and practitioners.
Air temperature was found to be cooler in the small urban parks during the monitoring period (April 2023-May 2024), on average 0.3 °C cooler than the grey areas of the city centre; the peak hourly difference was 1.9 °C across all of the parks, observed at midday on 27/05/2023, the greatest observed difference was 2.2 °C in Park Square on 10/07/2023 at 09:00. Park Square was generally cooler than the other smaller urban parks, being an average of 0.8 °C cooler than grey spaces between 09:00 and 12:00 during the warmest month of June 2023. Using the Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI) to evaluate thermal comfort conditions in the small urban parks, the number of hours with moderate heat stress conditions was 166, compared with 209 in grey spaces, and 142 hours in larger suburban parks. The number of hours in the small urban parks with strong heat stress was 36 hours, compared with 49 in grey spaces and 30 in larger suburban parks. Air quality was also found to be better than corresponding grey spaces, with 51 days exceeding the WHO thresholds for NO2 in Park Square, compared with 291 days in a nearby grey space. Levels of Particulate Matter (PM) were found to be similar over the full monitoring period, although these were much lower in the parks between May and September, the warmer months when people use the parks more.
Co-design workshops were used to help understand how end-users felt about the small urban parks. Participants identified lots of information they found interesting. There were three broad groupings of these information points: (1) The limited amount of green space in the city; (2) Air quality and temperature in the parks; and (3) How people want to use the parks. Working from the list of interesting information, participants discussed the information that it is most important for people to know. There were three groupings: (1) Information about the air in urban parks and how it affects health; (2) Information on how to access urban parks and create a green or blue trail around the city; and (3) Educational information about nature in the urban parks. Working from the list of important information, participants identified what should be included in public-facing information about urban parks, which included cooler and cleaner conditions, access, facilities, other green and blue spaces within 10 minute walks, trails between these spaces and information on the ecology of the parks (tree species for example).
Blog Update - CLICK HERE
Presentation - CLICK HERE
Final Report - CLICK HERE
Project Title - The role of Green Blue and Grey Infrastructure (GBGI) in levelling up in Bristol
Issy Bray, University of the West of England (pictured here)
Danielle Sinnett, University of the West of England
Harry West, University of the West of England
Summary - The objective of the project was to explore relationships between GBGI and a range of outcomes in neighbourhoods across Bristol. This was achieved using secondary data on GBGI from open access databases and on self-reported wellbeing from the Bristol City Council Quality of Life Survey.
We used regression models to estimate the effects of a wide range of GBGI variables (7 related to green infrastructure provision, satisfaction and use, 1 related to blue infrastructure provision, 8 related to grey infrastructure provision and satisfaction, and 3 related to residents’ experience of their neighbourhood) on four outcomes – neighbourhood satisfaction, life satisfaction, wellbeing and general health. We controlled for confounding variables – disability, age, sex, ethnicity, employment status, highest level of qualifications and income.
Neighbourhood experiences (sense of belonging, perceived safety, street litter and neighbourhood noise) were the strongest predictors of neighbourhood satisfaction. Satisfaction with greenspaces, museums, leisure centres, buses and libraries were also important. Living closer to an outdoor sports facility was associated with a reduction in neighbourhood satisfaction. Neighbourhood experiences were also associated with life satisfaction, but with smaller effect sizes. Satisfaction with greenspaces was important (but less so than for neighbourhood satisfaction), with leisure centre satisfaction being more important. Greater garden coverage, being close to a bus stop and greater density of historic/listed buildings were all associated with lower life satisfaction. Satisfaction with greenspace and proximity to a railway station were the only GBGI variables significantly associated with wellbeing, while none of the variables considered were associated with general health, having controlled for confounders.
We conclude that satisfaction with greenspace is the most consistent predictor of these outcomes, and that more attention should be paid to the quality of greenspaces and other neighbourhood infrastructure.
Blog Update - CLICK HERE
Presentation - CLICK HERE
Final Report - CLICK HERE
