Milton Keynes in Bloom Greener Streets: Better Lives Leigh Hunt, RHS Principal Horticultural Advisor

Transcription

1 Milton Keynes in Bloom 2011 Greener Streets: Better Lives Leigh Hunt, RHS Principal Horticultural Advisor

2 Leigh Hunt, Principal Horticultural Advisor, RHS Garden Wisley in Surrey 50 staff working in Science and Advice teams Has partnerships with Reading and Sheffield Universities

3 Green Streets: Better Lives talk outline Why do gardens, parks and green space matter? The benefits of plants Intro to RHS campaign, Green Streets: Better Lives Using plants to get the benefits (but not how ) Members of Three Close Tenants Loughborough in Bloom 2012 Kings Heath in Bloom, Birmingham, 2012

4 Why do gardens, parks and green space matter?

5 It was all an assumption Green space is good! Science-based evidence for this? How we get the benefit? What should we do more of? What should we do less of?

6 Why are urban gardens important? The potential scope Up to half of a town s area is greenspace 20%(London) to 23%(Sheffield) of the town s area is gardens UK gardens contain almost 29 million trees (i.e. ~ 25% of all trees occurring outside woodlands) Our potential collective input Almost 90% of UK residents live in urban areas 22.7 million households (87% of homes) in the UK have access to a garden (Thompson et al., 2004; Davies et al., 2009; Cameron et al., 2012) What we grow in our greenspaces and how we manage them has a big impact! A volunteer working on the flowerbeds in Princes Street Gardens, Edinburgh, July 2013.

7 Why are urban domestic gardens important? RHS Science review Dr Tijana Blanuša RHS Senior Scientist Remarkable depth and range of benefits that gardens provide in urban areas Domino effect one garden is not much, but together gardens are nearly half of urban green space 4 key benefit areas rhs.org.uk/urbangreening

8 What are the benefits?

9 Bloom and It s Your Neighbourhood Greening friendly (if not a frenzy)! It s challenging to do more time, resources, skills, other risks 45% of Local Authorities are considering either selling parks and green spaces or transferring their management to others (The State of UK Public Parks 2014 Renaissance to Risk?) Justifying green not just pretty solid reasons to do.

10 1. Moderating urban temperature

11 1. Moderating urban temperature Air conditioning: Plants help cool the air Trees and hedges can reduce heating costs and energy consumption by up to 30% Get the benefit Get planting! A 10% increase in planting would help control the rise in summertime air temperatures predicated with climate change Trees, in particular, shade helping to heat islands Deciduous trees can allow more heat in during winter Well positioned hedges and trees can deflect wind

12 1. Moderating urban temperature green walls and climbers Moderating temperatures locally Insulation for buildings Can cut heating and cooling bills Room for your 10% extra?

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14 RHS Science Urban greening research Alternatives to Sedum on green roofs: Can broad leaf perennial plants offer better 'cooling service'? Building and Environment, Blanusa et al., 2013, pp59, Species/ surface Soil temperature ( o -1 cm Air temperature ( o 10 cm Stachys byzantina Sedum mix Bare soil LSD (d.f.) 1.09 (149) 0.32 (149)

15 Why worry about this? Climate Change

16 Predictions of Climate Change Temperatures are rising, making gardens drier C rise in temperature major impacts on ecosystems C rise leads to half the days in August being above 30 C to 4 C rise could bring days that exceed 40 C. 20 to 50% less rain in summer, and only 10 to 30% more in winter Plants = Climate change mitigation!

17 Change in Summer Mean Temperature: 2020s

18 Change in Summer Mean Temperature: 2080s

19 2. Keeping our towns above water

20 2. Preventing flooding Urban gardens help keep our cities above water Garden plants and trees intercept intense rain, slowing run off, reducing pressure on drains Unlike hard surfaces, the soil in gardens absorbs rain

21 Paving of urban and suburban areas 12% drop in vegetation 13% increase in impervious surfaces over 30 years in the city of Leeds 75% of which was due to paving of front gardens

22 Why are public green spaces important? 1. Domestic gardens are under threat (Smith, 2008, GIGL). Hard surfaces in gardens increase by twice the area of Hyde Park every year (London Assembly, Crazy Paving 2005)

23 3 Flooding cost the country 3.2 billion in 2007 Hard surfaces shed 50% more rain water.

24 Change in Summer Mean Rainfall: 2020s Change in Summer Mean Rainfall: 2020s

25 Change in Summer Mean Rainfall: 2080s

26 Winter Hot off the press... Seasonal Changes in Extreme Rainfall Events Summer Crown copyright Met Office

27 What can we do? As groups, or by encouraging others Keep paving to a minimum Drain into beds, borders and lawns Install green roofs and plant trees to help slow runoff Swap hard surfaces for planting

28 3. Supporting biodiversity

29 3. Supporting biodiversity Urban greenspace: one of Britain s key nature reserves Urban domestic gardens of all sizes support a substantial range of wildlife could be 260 species (Jenifer Owens 2010) Some animals are now more common in cities, particularly gardens, than rural areas To help: Get planting: berries and flowers Plants as homes and shelter: trees, hedges, shrubs Wildlife friendly additions: ponds, bird baths, bird boxes etc.

30 Owen (2010) Wildlife of a Garden 740 m 2 Garden in Leicestershire 1602 insect spp 121 other invertebrates Parasitic wasps 20 new to UK 4 new to science 21% of UK insect spp Owen J (2010) Wildlife of a Garden: A Thirty-Year Study. Royal Horticultural Society, London.

31 RHS Science: Plants for Bugs Origins of plant assemblages Near Native UK Native Exotic

32 RHS Science: Plants for Bugs 80,000 specimens and more than 400 species of invertebrates collected, counted and identified Initial data analysis shows: Native is not always best There are differences between the treatments and, different invertebrate groups show different preferences for different treatments Results will be published summer 2014 onwards

33 RHS Perfect for Pollinators rhs.org.uk/perfectforpollinators

34 4. Supporting human health

35 4. Supporting human health Scientific evidence Gardening eases stress Gardening encourages sustained and cardiovascular exercise Reduced incidence of illness Increased self-esteem, a feeling of achievement To get the benefits: Get out and garden! Create a great greensapce Be creative plan and have control

36 RHS Science 4: green exercise Collaboration between the RHS and Coventry University It is often said that gardening is effectively green exercise but there is little evidence Study will examine the muscle strength, bone health, cardiovascular performance and mobility of gardeners, and non-gardeners, to see if there is any correlation between health benefits and gardening activities

37 RHS Science 5: Restoration from gardens Collaboration between the RHS and University of Surrey Any difference between gardens and naturalness (and create a measure) Which garden features help? Provide recommendations for designing natural spaces Due October 2016

38 5. Reducing pollution Rough and hairy! These characteristics trap pollution Otherwise, clip your plants to create dense structures as this also helps. How to use plants: Plant a tree, or hedge, particularly along the street edge. Use hornbeam, hawthorn, plane western red cedar (Thuja) for maximum benefits Dense vegetation can help but not always appropriate

39 Three negatives of gardening/greening Water use Carbon cost Removing existing flora and wildlife habitat

40 Getting the benefits Green Streets: Better Lives

41 It s all interlinked the greenspace Air temperatures* / building insulation Pollutant trapping** Rainfall capture Carbon cost Greenspace/ domestic gardens Ecosystem services Street trees Green roofs and walls How can we optimise multiple services by plants? *Blanusa et al., 2013, Building and Environment, 59, **Fantozzi et al., 2013, Environmental Pollution, in press.

42 1. More is more!

43 More is more Case study 1 Larkhall Park Community Garden Formerly an area for drug users, rough sleepers and gangs, an unused quarter of the park was transformed by gardening charity Thrive. The new community hub hosts weekly gardening and food sharing activities.

44 More is more: Case study 2 Supermarket and Manchester Living wall and green roof at Bracknell s Waitrose supermarket, Bracknell Levenshulme Market, a community-run social enterprise, with funding from Manchester City Council for a green roof and a mural, on the shipping container where they store a generator.

45 2. Green is better than grey No plants; no benefits! Permanent planting is even better (reduced water and carbon cost) Members of Three Close Tenants Loughborough in Bloom 2012 Kings Heath in Bloom, Birmingham, 2012

46 Green is better than grey Case study 3 Concrete bollards to garden, Wroxham Residents were refused permission to remove unwanted bollards so adapted them into their own green space

47 3. Get connected Connectivity of greenspace is important Wildlife corridors About 25% of the land in cities OR half the greenspace

48 Get connected Case study 4 Garden revamped in Ross-on-Wye Volunteers transform unloved corner of park, removing hard-standing and adding diverse planting

49 Get connected Case study 5 Uttoxeter Station Project by: East Midlands Trains, North Staffordshire Community Rail Partnership and Uttoxeter station volunteers to create a waiting area for passengers. 13,000 grant from Network Rail s National Stations Improvement Programme.

50 Green Streets: Better Lives The benefits of greenspace are huge: Climate change resilience for towns and cities Flooding, temperature moderation, carbon sequestration Supporting human health Sustainable communities Nice places to live high quality environments Be mindful of negative impacts To get or demonstrate the benefits:» More is more!» Green is better than grey» Get connected

51 RHS Advisory information online

52 Milton Keynes in Bloom 2011 Green Streets: Better Lives Leigh Hunt, RHS Principal Horticultural Advisor