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Birmingham’s journey from grey to green


The Covid-19 crisis offers the opportunity to rethink thewaywe design our cities, said speakers at Planning andDevelopment to Enhance Health andWellbeing, the third of Polypipe Civils & Green Urbanisation’s e-Roadshowevents on Realising Resilience. Focused on Birmingham, the firstUK city to join the global Biophilic Cities network, the event showcased howEngland’s largest unitary authority has set itself challenging targets linked to increasing green assets, reducing carbon emissions, and improving the health and wellbeing of its residents. In her introduction,VikkiWoodhouse –National Specification Sales Manager at PolypipeCivils&GreenUrbanisation – outlined the importance ofmulti-functional green assets and the need for a circular approach that reuses rainwater, rather than a linear one.“We need a combined approach,with early engagement fromthe project management and design teams,”she said. “Covid 19 has brought to the fore the inequality of access to green spaces,”said SimonNeedle, Principal Ecologist andArbologist at BirminghamCityCouncil, showing the city’sMultiChallengeMap


which reveals howdeprived communities have fewer green assets nearby.He also explained some of the city’s targets including net zero carbon by 2030 and a 25%canopy cover for everyward in the city. Jane Findlay,Director of Fira Landscape and president-elect of the Landscape Institute, talked about the importance of evidence-based design, an approach pioneered in the health sector,where views of nature have been shown to increase healing and boostmental health. She highlighted research byNatural England andNottingham Universitywhich shows that livingwithin 300mof a green space promotes physical activity, improvesmental health and increases life expectancy. Lastly, PeterWharton, former tree protection officer andDirector of WhartonNatural InfrastructureConsultants, asked the question:“ Is it easier to sell houses in awell-planned and delivered environment, where buildings, green infrastructure and people coexist to deliver sustained benefits?”Of course, the answer is‘yes’but that doesn’tmean it is happening, he revealed. Lack of early collaboration, especiallywith the right people i.e. arborculturalists or ecologists,meant developers weremissing out on the‘value’of green assets.He cited one developmentwhere 86%of the newtrees planted had diedwithin five years.He recommendedmeasures such asCapitalAssetValuation of AmenityTrees (CAVAT), amethod formanaging trees as public assets rather than liabilities, be adhered to. London is the virtual venue for the next Polypipe e-roadshowon 7th July andwill explore the theme of ShapingCity Policy to Support Biodiversity andGreenUrbanisation.The final event of the series concentrates on Scotland and the challenge ofDeliveringActiveTravel through IntegratedGreen Infrastructure.


22 drain TRADER | August 2020 | www.draintraderltd.com


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