A menu of standards for green infrastructure in England: effective and equitable or a race to the bottom?
Multi-functional urban green infrastructure (GI) can deliver nature-based solutions that help address climate change, while providing wider benefits for human health and biodiversity. However, this will only be achieved effectively, sustainably and equitably if GI is carefully planned, implemented a...
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Environmental Science |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fenvs.2024.1456519/full |
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| author | Mike Grace Alison Smith Ian Mell Jane Houghton Peter Neal |
| author_facet | Mike Grace Alison Smith Ian Mell Jane Houghton Peter Neal |
| author_sort | Mike Grace |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Multi-functional urban green infrastructure (GI) can deliver nature-based solutions that help address climate change, while providing wider benefits for human health and biodiversity. However, this will only be achieved effectively, sustainably and equitably if GI is carefully planned, implemented and maintained to a high standard, in partnership with stakeholders. This paper draws on original research into the design of a menu of GI standards for England, commissioned by Natural England—a United Kingdom Government agency. It describes the evolution of the standards within the context of United Kingdom government policy initiatives for nature and climate. We show how existing standards and guidelines were curated into a comprehensive framework consisting of a Core Menu and five Headline Standards. This moved beyond simplistic metrics such as total green space, to deliver GI that meets five key ‘descriptive principles’: accessible, connected, locally distinctive, multi-functional and varied, and thus delivers 5 ‘benefits principles’: places that are nature rich and beautiful, active and healthy, thriving and prosperous, resilient and climate positive, and with improved water management. It also builds in process guidance, bringing together stakeholders to co-ordinate GI development strategically across different sectors. Drawing on stakeholder feedback, we evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the standards and discuss how they provide clarity and consistency while balancing tensions between top-down targets and the need for flexibility to meet local needs. A crucial factor is the delivery of the standards within a framework of supporting tools, advice and guidance, to help planners with limited resources deliver more effective and robust green infrastructure with multiple benefits. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-7c6f9b5df8f947fb9d58810d36d26690 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2296-665X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Environmental Science |
| spelling | doaj-art-7c6f9b5df8f947fb9d58810d36d266902025-01-06T06:59:00ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Environmental Science2296-665X2025-01-011210.3389/fenvs.2024.14565191456519A menu of standards for green infrastructure in England: effective and equitable or a race to the bottom?Mike Grace0Alison Smith1Ian Mell2Jane Houghton3Peter Neal4Faculty of Computing, Engineering and the Built Environment, Birmingham City University, Birmingham, United KingdomEnvironmental Change Institute and Nature-based Solutions Initiative, School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, Oxford, United KingdomDepartment of Planning, Property and Environmental Management, Humanities Bridgeford Street, University of Manchester, Manchester, United KingdomNatural England, Strategy and Government Advice Team, York, United KingdomPeter NealConsulting, London, United KingdomMulti-functional urban green infrastructure (GI) can deliver nature-based solutions that help address climate change, while providing wider benefits for human health and biodiversity. However, this will only be achieved effectively, sustainably and equitably if GI is carefully planned, implemented and maintained to a high standard, in partnership with stakeholders. This paper draws on original research into the design of a menu of GI standards for England, commissioned by Natural England—a United Kingdom Government agency. It describes the evolution of the standards within the context of United Kingdom government policy initiatives for nature and climate. We show how existing standards and guidelines were curated into a comprehensive framework consisting of a Core Menu and five Headline Standards. This moved beyond simplistic metrics such as total green space, to deliver GI that meets five key ‘descriptive principles’: accessible, connected, locally distinctive, multi-functional and varied, and thus delivers 5 ‘benefits principles’: places that are nature rich and beautiful, active and healthy, thriving and prosperous, resilient and climate positive, and with improved water management. It also builds in process guidance, bringing together stakeholders to co-ordinate GI development strategically across different sectors. Drawing on stakeholder feedback, we evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the standards and discuss how they provide clarity and consistency while balancing tensions between top-down targets and the need for flexibility to meet local needs. A crucial factor is the delivery of the standards within a framework of supporting tools, advice and guidance, to help planners with limited resources deliver more effective and robust green infrastructure with multiple benefits.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fenvs.2024.1456519/fullgreen infrastructurenature-based solutionsstandardsplanning policyclimate change adaptationaccessible greenspace |
| spellingShingle | Mike Grace Alison Smith Ian Mell Jane Houghton Peter Neal A menu of standards for green infrastructure in England: effective and equitable or a race to the bottom? Frontiers in Environmental Science green infrastructure nature-based solutions standards planning policy climate change adaptation accessible greenspace |
| title | A menu of standards for green infrastructure in England: effective and equitable or a race to the bottom? |
| title_full | A menu of standards for green infrastructure in England: effective and equitable or a race to the bottom? |
| title_fullStr | A menu of standards for green infrastructure in England: effective and equitable or a race to the bottom? |
| title_full_unstemmed | A menu of standards for green infrastructure in England: effective and equitable or a race to the bottom? |
| title_short | A menu of standards for green infrastructure in England: effective and equitable or a race to the bottom? |
| title_sort | menu of standards for green infrastructure in england effective and equitable or a race to the bottom |
| topic | green infrastructure nature-based solutions standards planning policy climate change adaptation accessible greenspace |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fenvs.2024.1456519/full |
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