090 BIOPHILIA


Another, pandemic-inspired development for key National Trust properties and beyond has been the creation of ‘Silent Space’ – a place designated for calm and contemplation inside some of its most remarkable landscapes, as well as those of other stately homes and gardens.


Meanwhile, the UK’s National Lottery Heritage Fund declared, in June 2022, a ‘£13.7m boost for nature, communities and culture’, with earmarked projects including one that supports vulnerable species, from bats to bumblebees across Scotland (NatureScot);


Trees are one of the most endangered species in parts of the world suff ering from extreme


environmental impacts


another to restore natural and built heritage along the River Tweed, and a further award to enhance woodland and biodiversity across Derbyshire (the Hurst Farm Heritage Trail). Twelve projects for tree planting and improving access to nature were given an additional £6m.


But while planting trees is all very well in the temperate north, trees are one of the most endangered species in parts of the world suff ering from extreme environmental impacts, with devastating forest fi res now a regular occurrence in the US and Australia. Not


Clockwise From a derelict and dangerous post-industrial site to an inner-city haven for nature, Glasgow’s clay pits have witnessed a remarkable transformation. Not only have safe routes for people passing through been created, but a premium has been placed on the ability of nature to survive there


CASE STUDY GLASGOW CLAY PITS


The Glasgow Canal, just over 1km north of the city centre, meanders through some of the most disadvantaged and disconnected communities in Scotland. Its Claypits – a 17ha post-industrial, derelict site that straddles the canal and from which clay was dug to build the 18th and 19th century canals – were massively overgrown, and perceived as unsafe and contaminated. But in


2021, they transformed into an inner-city nature reserve, thanks to Land Use Consultants (LUC), working with Scottish Canals and the Glasgow Regeneration Partnership. Although the idea first saw light in 2014 when LUC was appointed to lead a collaborative design project to establish a shared vision for the city’s Green Infrastructure Masterplan, work did not begin until


2019 and carried on through the pandemic to complete in 2021. Jill Malvenan, development manager for Scottish Canals, says: ‘It was about creating routes for people into the site but preserving the ability of nature to survive here.’ LUC’s planting and landscaping designs have transformed this formerly no-go-zone into a multi-functional green space to


improve connectivity and healthy activity, while harnessing the ‘wild’ character of the site. There are now 1.5km of paths, bridges and boardwalks, plus areas designed for play, art, activity and exploration. The plan has been integrated into a wider sustainable urban drainage system (SUDS), the North Glasgow Integrated Water Management System (NGIWM) which


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