‘Greening prescriptions’ could help adapt to local climate challenges
DIY ‘greening kits’ could help safeguard the country’s most vulnerable communities from the impacts of a rapidly changing environment, according to a new project led by the University of Surrey.
The project, DIY Greening Prescription for Climate Adaptation in Urban Streets (GP4Streets), is backed by £2 million from the Natural Environment Research Council.
Organisers say the scheme will provide tailored ‘greening prescriptions’ for UK streets, offering communities practical solutions to adapt to local climate challenges.
‘Our country’s most vulnerable need a step-change in how we adapt to volatile weather and transform built environments, like streets, where limited space restricts the scope for interventions,’ says Professor Prashant Kumar, University of Surrey.
‘Working hand-in-hand with communities, charities, businesses, and local councils, we’ll create tailored DIY greening solutions as a “prescription” for urban streets – from green walls to front and back gardens.’
‘With state-of-the-art monitoring, communities will see improvements in air quality, temperature, and biodiversity firsthand.’
‘This project, building on the foundations of the RECLAIM Network Plus, is about empowering communities to shape a better future for themselves and their loved ones, ensuring they are part of the climate solution.’
Bringing together experts across academia and local government
Led by the University of Surrey’s Global Centre for Clean Air Research, the project brings together experts from five institutions, including the UWE Bristol, the University of Bath, the University of Sheffield and Imperial College London.
Nine local councils, charities, and industry partners are also on board to support the rollout and scaling up of these green solutions across UK towns and cities.
The project will start by equipping neighbourhoods with monitoring tools to measure key environmental factors such as air quality, temperature, and water flow.
Following this initial assessment, the community will be provided with DIY greening kits to implement in their environment.
This will allow sensors to track the benefits of greening efforts, such as planting trees and installing green walls.
‘There are multiple barriers to implementing green solutions, so we are really looking forward to teaming up with GCARE on this project, as we did with the UK’s first ‘living gate’ installation at Sandfield Primary, to see how we can remove those blockers,’ says Ben McCallan, Zero Carbon Guildford.
‘In Guildford, there are areas that have a frightening level of nitrogen dioxide, and we are keen to work with GCARE to help citizens improve the air quality of their communities.’
Improving ‘health in our communities’
Organisers say the goal will be to help ‘fine-tune climate adaptation strategies for UK streets.’ By partnering with councils, charities, and local groups in the South West and South East, GP4Streets will directly engage with communities.
‘The GP4Streets project will support Bath and North East Somerset Council’s priorities to tackle the climate and ecological emergencies and improve health in our communities,’ says Sarah Jackson, Bath and North East Somerset Council.
‘We have a strategy to green our neighbourhoods, and this research will help us to optimise green infrastructure interventions for individual streets and identify where investment will have most impact.’
Workshops and user-friendly guidelines will support lasting change, helping more communities embrace climate-resilient solutions.
‘The GP4Streets Project is a fantastic opportunity to enhance our capabilities on our priority programmes of the Surrey Adapt Strategy,’ says Maris Heath, Surrey County Council.
‘We are delighted to work with the University of Surrey, and the consortium across the country and to deliver benefits where they are most needed to enhance climate resilience.’
In a separate item, Breaktime News recently covered the University of Surrey’s research into vape usage and its’ potential impact on sleep and anxiety levels.