Sunday, 25 February 2018

OUGD503 - Studio Brief 2 - Hasbro Board Game (Large Collaborative) - Tutor Feedback

Tutor Feedback


To make the actual dominoes it was suggested that they could be made out of thick card like playing cards as this would allow the designs to be screen printed on top. However the physicality of a actual domino is interesting so we also discussed about possibly using acrylic.

The mesh idea on a drawstring bag was said to be a good middle between a traditional game package and fruit packaging. It was said that the fruit crate idea had some qualities of both however potentially wasn't necessary and perhaps over engineered for a game of this type. We discussed how the mesh design could be screen printed and perhaps the bright orange of the original mesh could be used for the design on the packaging as a reference to the original. The flexibility of the material bag design however would make it difficult to put the branding on however it was suggested that instead a label or tag could be used around the top. It was suggested that looking at fruit stickers as a reference could be useful. The idea for the instructional manual was said to be effective and like peeled fruit.

Friday, 23 February 2018

OUGD505 - City Patch Project - Interim Crit

Crit Feedback


It was said overall that the concept is strong and that I should continue with the ideas I have. Creating the adoption pack was said to be a good idea.  It was said that possibly considering how it could be promoted could be an idea, this would be a good way of getting people to donate or volunteer. It was suggested that looking into Leeds in Bloom could be a good reference as groups get a plaque for their space. Choosing a place in Leeds and mocking the space up could be an idea then taking photographs of this as a way of visualising the space and making it real. Using semi permanent spray paint or blasting technique could be used to designate areas and show where things will be. It was said that a patch suggests the idea of growing plants which is one of the uses that a space could have. Using the car parking space idea as reference it was said is effective. The diagonal lines / cross stitch logos were said to be effective. The one with curved edges and the square design were said to be strong. It was suggested that focusing on a specific area of Leeds or specific 'patches' could help e.g. where road markings are in car parks. It was suggested that this idea could be promoted to families and schools.  In the pack it was also suggested that a seed label / stick could be given so that people can use these for plants within their patch. 

Wednesday, 14 February 2018

OUGD503 - Studio Brief 1 - G . F Smith (Large Individual) - Laser Cutting Trials

Laser Cutter tests

After all of the different shapes for the pieces were created two versions were made for testing on the laser cutter.






It was considered that the shapes could be created through precut shapes allowing the next paper to be seen underneath or could be formed with the addition of a tear off section which would reveal the next colour underneath. To create the perforated section for the laser cutter a dashed line was created, this was then outlined allowing the lasercutter to cut around these. All of the lines for the design were reduced to 0.25pt as this is the line width that the laser cutter recognises.








Any typography within the design would have to be digitally printed or screen printed, whilst the design would also have to be lasercut to get accurate and precise shapes that would be consistent. To combine these two aspects it was considered that the design could be first printed then lasercut as the laser is very precise so more likely to line up. Doing it this way round would also mean less pressure on the printing process and mean there would be no need for registration. Also laser cutting the design would mean multiple designs would be able to be cut at once. To test this a mock design was trialled, one version was printed with the text in the correct position with an outline which allowed the laser to be registered on. The lasercutter file was a direct copy of this however the typography was removed, allowing the design to be cut around the printed section. Having the border would allow the design to always start in the same place.






Using the lasercutter allowed multiple designs to be accurately cut.










When trialing the alignment of the lasercutter over the printed designs the laser was intially positioned at the bottom corner of the A4 paper as it was thought that it would then move from there to cut the rectangle out. However it was found that whereever the lasercutter is positioned a section will eventually be cut from that area. Because of this the design was cut wrongly because it started to cut from the corner of the paper, misaligning the design.







Positioning the laser at the corner of the rectangle mean that the design was cut as intended. By moving the laser along the bottom line this meant it was easier to see whether the paper was square with the laser. The cut design was only fractionally off and would not be overly noticeable from piece to piece.






The print out that was put into the laser cutter.






The misaligned lasercut trial.






The correctly aligned lasercut trial.







To join all the pieces together it was considered that this could either be done using a metal screw or a piece of dowel or acrylic tube through the middle. The hole was made to be 6mm as this was thick enough to hold all of the pieces together whilst not detracting from the overall design. 







When all of the pieces are put onto the dowel they can then be moved about to form the circular form of the original designs.







An expanded view of the all the pieces on the dowel shows how each piece is reflected after one another to fill the space where the cut outs are. 







The perforation tests worked well in creating a strong bond however were still easy to tear off.







The perforated sections from the calendar could be paper samples to keep or memos to right on.






The laser cutter was on the card setting, however this was burning the back of the card which wouldn't look very refined and the marks would transfer onto the other card when layered over one another. 






Setting the lasercutter to the paper setting created a much cleaner cut and stopped the burning on the back.









Trials of all the different shapes in their perforated form.






Trials of all the different shapes in there cut form.

Feedback / Help from Workshop Technician

It was asked whether the perforation could be made any smaller however he said that what had been done was the best the lasercutter would do.
The burn marks, it was suggested could be improved by changing the setting like was trialed, however it was considered that the actual card would be thicker so would need to be on the higher setting to cut through, therefore maybe burning the paper. It was suggested that the design could be elevated off the base of the lasercutter as it was said this was quite dirty and might be creating the marks. 
In terms of the dowel / acrylic it was said that although dowels come in different sizes it does not mean that they are all the same size so one might be a tight fit whilst another may be slack. He suggested if there were problems with the hole then 0.05mm alterations should be made to the hole in the design as this would fractionally change the hole preventing it going from one extreme to the other.  

OUGD505 - Creating positives for screen printing

Creating positives for Screen Printing

Part 1 

Threshold layer simplifies layer making it into block colour
Hue and saturation allows us to see the colours that will be used in screenprinting 
Another layer can be applied over the top 
An adjustment layer affects all layers below the adjustment layer e.g background 
Click alt j or right click layer and click release clipping mask to only let the adjustment layer affect one layer beneath it 
Using the multiply blend mode allows you to see how the two colours will work together e.g. how they blend over one another - overprint.
Knocking out means that space is left underneath for another colour to fill the space left by the first layer
Select shape / area and delete it to knock out a section allowing room for the other colour to be printed in this space
Photographic images can be adjusted using the threshold layer or high contrast or half-toning 
Half-toning is made of different sized dots which are solid black 
Things to consider for half-toning:
The frequency - measured in lines per inch (50lpi max)
Angle - for one ink 15 degrees this avoids moire patterns which are optical illusions
Halftones can be dots or lines of varying thicknesses 
Visible half-toning (large dots) can be used for aesthetic value 
There are different methods for the two printers in the building, black and white laserprinter or the inkjet printer in Digital Print 

Half-toning 

For the laserprinter:
In Photoshop 
Mode of the image has to be greyscale
Make any relevant adjustments
Save as a tiff file 

In Illustrator 
File New 
Place image in file
Print options
Output to be seperations
Only black ink output 
Halftone frequency angle 15 degrees

Bitmap technique for large format
In Photoshop 
The image has to be greyscale 
Then choose bitmap 
Resolution 1200
Click Halftone screen
Submit this 
frequency 40 and 15 degree angle
Can choose lines or dots and other shapes

CMYK images

Photoshop 
Channels near layers 
Showing one channel black and white 
Showing more than one channel shows how the colour overlaps
Each channel will become a different positive to print a CMYK image

Illustrator 
File print 
Black and white printer
Output seperations
Illustrator will recognise that there are different colours 
Would have to halftone all of them 
Angles need to be rotated to different ones for each colour 15 degrees, 75 degrees, 105 degrees, 155 degrees

Low resolution images are fine for screen printing if using half tones

Spot Colours

In commercial print we can print in CMYK and Spot colours 
Spot colours are specific ready mixed inks 
The Pantone reference colour system is made up of spot colours 
If done in CMYK there may be slight differences in each print whereas spot colours are consistently the same
Spot Colours can be cheaper and can allow you to use interesting inks e.g. fluorescent, metallic etc.

Photoshop 
Click colour filler
Then colour Libraries
Type in Pantone number (no field just type)
If the mode is in CMYK it will convert the spot colour into CMYK 
New file 
Mode Greyscale 
Click icon in top right of channels palette 
Click new spot channel
When creating spot colours for screen print just use a colour similar to something you want as the colour will be made when you mix the ink 
Need to save as a tiff or psd file 


Part 2

- The Blue Note Record Label, Prestige and Columbia - Record cover albums showing techniques practiced

Duotone Images

In Photoshop 

Image Mode 
Image has to be Greyscale
Click Duotone...
Click colour picker to change colour 
Or Colour Libraries for Pantone
Pantone Solid Coated 
Choose colour
Cancel
Open Duotone again 
Click Duotone rather than monotone
Can add another colour
Click box with line through it, this allows the colour to be adjusted. It changes how the spot colour is mapped. The points / ends can also be dragged up and down. Have to keep clicking ok to preview.
A duotone is always editable even after saving  
Have to save asa Photoshop file

In Illustrator

Colour Picker, Colour Palette and Colour Swatches

Can use the colour picker or colour palette to add colour
Click arrows on colour palette allows CMYK to be adjusted 
Colour block at the top allows access to the colour swatches which allows the same colour to be picked each time 

Discarding Colour Swatches
Click swatch panel 
Click swatch menu 
Click Select all unused and delete them 
If view swatches as a list it tells you more details about each colour
Only use registration colour if using for printer marks. It looks like black but isn't.
Click swatch menu then new swatch 

Adding Colour Swatches
Creating swatches from existing colours
Make sure nothing is selected
Then click the swatch menu 
Click Add Used colours 
You can edit a swatch by double clicking the swatch 

Global Swatches
Swatches made in this way are Global although other swatches can be changed to global by ticking the box
A global colour does not allow the CMYK to be changed in the colour palette but tints can be created from that colour on the colour palette
To change a global swatch double click it 
Click preview allows you to see how the new colour will look and updates everything that is in that colour 
The same can be done for tints if the preview button is clicked

Spot Colours for print 
If using spot colours can only use swatch palette
Click swatch menu 
Click Open swatch library
Click Colour Books 
Click Pantone uncoated
Shows all swatches in that book 
Type in reference number to find Pantone colour
Pantone colours are spot colours and Global colours 

Spot colours for screen printing
Click swatch menu and new swatch 
Change colour type from Process Colour to Spot Colour
Name each colour 

Click print, output, then separations shows the different inks that will be printed 

For Knocking out 

When colours are spot colours within Illustrator they are printed as separate colours 
Window separations preview allows you to see a preview of how it will print
Click overprint 
Check colour layers to see how each will print
Illustrator automatically knocks out colour , it bases the output on the spot colours available

For overprinting
Window Attributes palette
It is a object specific tool 
Click a shape then overprint fill 
You can then view the effect in the separations panel
Overprint preview must be ticked in the separations panel  
This is only used for creating positives for screen printing 

Adjusting images in Illustrator
Can apply spot colours to photoshop images within Illustrator
They have to be greyscale
Just click the image and select a spot colour from the swatch library
A tint is always a halftone colour which means that only a fraction of the colour is printed
Window Links
Links allow you to adjust images across platforms 
Click edit original to do this 



Indesign and spot colours
Whenever an image is placed into Illustrator or Indesign from Photoshop it carries across the spot colours with it
In Indesign click swatch menu 
Click New colour Swatch 
Change Colour mode for relevant spot colours
Click text to colour in a spot colour, need to click t for text at the top 
In Indesign a greyscale image can be duotoned by applying a spot colour over the top

All these techniques can be applied to Risograph printing

Tuesday, 13 February 2018

OUGD503 - Studio Brief 1 - G . F Smith (Large Individual) - Positioning pieces

Digital Development





It was considered that each colour would be a separate layer of card with the cut off shapes allowing the next colour to be visible underneath, creating the combinations of colours decided upon digitally. Initially that the hole for the central pin was in the center of the calendar / memo block. This would have worked for some of the shapes however for others (e.g. the half and half colour combination) this would have mean that the hole would have half gone through one piece of card meaning it would fall off. 






It was considered instead that the hole would have to be off centre in order to go through all the pieces whilst allowing them to be securely fastened to the central pin. Using radiating lines from the center of the design would allow for the accurate positioning of the hole in the same place for all of the pieces of card, meaning they would all line up when slotted onto the central pin. 






Placing the hole near the edge of the design meant that some of the smaller designs would not fill the cut out space meaning multiple colours would be seen past the cut out which was not wanted. 







Having the central pin closer to the middle would mean it would go through all the papers and allow the cutouts to be better filled with one colour. However the hole could not be too large or placed on a circle too big otherwise it would interfere with the edges of the paper or be too close to the middle.











Rotating the individual pieces in a sequence allowed for a better visualisation of how the pieces would overlap and fill the cut out shapes above. It was found that having each of the pieces so they reflected each other allowed the colours to come through beneath the cut outs whilst also meaning that all the pieces could be fastened together. The typography for each piece would be laid out so that when a new colour combination comes up the user would have to rotate the calendar around to read it properly, this would also allow for the cut out angles to be positioned as they are in the original designs.







Overlapping all the shapes created a grid system that helped to work out where the central pin could be positioned so it would go through all the pieces.







Having each of the pieces so that they were opposite to one another meant that the central pin could be positioned to the right of the central line, whilst still allowing all the pieces to be attached. 







Using Divide in the pathfinder tool meant that shapes could be overlapped to cut the circles to the correct shape. 











Using the grid lines, both straight and curved allowed for the accurate positioning of the hole in all the pieces. 

Monday, 12 February 2018

OUGD505 - Studio Brief 2 - Are we losing our connection with biodiversity in cities? - Presentation

Presentation








































Feedback and things to consider:

- need to focus the subject matter down as there's plenty of research
- It was suggested that looking into the Leeds Cycle to work scheme, perhaps trails could be created for the most scenic routes 
- It was questioned whether animals adapting to urban environments was a good thing or not
- it was suggested that the project could be focused on what individuals can do to make a difference e.g. in their own space 
- it was said that getting people to engage with the environment around them could be a good way of raising awareness of the problem and leading to change
- asking the target audience (20 - 29 year olds make up one in three people in cities?) about their views on the subject 
- it was suggested that perhaps focusing the project to a local level could make the project easier to do 

OUGD505 - Studio Brief 2 - Making Cities Green - Research Articles

Making Cities Green 

Urban Gardening : how to go green in the city 






- people are making use of small spaces that they have in cities e.g. windowsills, balconies, walls and growing fresh produce 
- all can be done with limited resources
- Edible Cities - Urban Permaculture for Gardens, Yards, Balconies, Rooftops and Beyond by Judith Anger
- Capital Growth is a food growing project in London which helps people who want to grow food at home, in alloments and as groups. It helps train people, gives opportunities and helps people to find somewhere to grow in their area. It uses spaces such as schools, roofs, skips, housing estates and canal banks.
- gardening is not just a hobby it can help supply local food for people 
- Kensington and Chelsea have community kitchen gardens, which a variety of people get involved in 
- Mark Ridsdill Smith writes a blog that shows people how to grow without ground space. He also runs a Vertical veg club and runs a course

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/gardeningadvice/10673079/Urban-gardening-how-to-go-green-in-the-city.html




Why we need to bring Nature back into cities







- Urban areas could be the solution to the survival of some wildlife species 
- Nature needs to be incorporated into urban areas in new ways 
- there is a migration of people from rural to urban areas
- cities protect and seperate humans from the natural environment, their is a process of selection and getting rid of other parts
- cities are not isolated places they use resources from outside their areas e.g. farm land etc meaning they have a footprint larger than the actual space they take up.
- urban areas cover 2% of the planet, by 2030 10% could be covered 
- 1.2 million square kilometers could be lost to urban construction
- cities need to incorporate the the natural world in new ways
- parks and green spaces should be multiplied upwards  
- Marin Bay Sand Hotel has a skypark on the 56th floor, this shows how elements of the natural world can be replicated e.g. mountaintop views
- vertical farms are not practical for large scale food production, however hobby growers, farmers and beekeepers are likely to take up multistorey growing.
- Roof top fishfarms have been created in Berlin with waste going on agricultural plots 
- Industrial spaces, street corners and rooftops are converted into micro gardens
- Guerilla Gardeners plant things in disused or empty plots around London
- Urban ecology studies the city and biophysical interactions 
- There are species of animals that rely on man made environments e.g. peregrine falcons, foxes
- unique plant ecosystems are being created 
- the changes in environment for wildlife will lead to new adaptations e.g. moths the colour of concrete , birds with louder calls  

http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20130530-bringing-nature-back-into-cities



A challenge to cities: How can we incorporate green spaces?






- Urban green spaces combine the city and natural environment 
- green spaces can be difficult in cities because of space, resource and development problems 
- cities are congested and polluted but green spaces can help reduce this and improve life for people living in the city 
-  Definition for Urban Green Space 'they are public and private open spaces in urban areas, primarily covered by vegetation which is directly or indirectly available for users (Haq 2011) 

Characteristics of Urban Green Spaces 
- they can vary in size, cover, facilities and services
- includes parks, reserves, sporting fields, river banks, trails, community gardens, conservation areas
- they should not be more than five minutes away, so this should be considered during planning and design of cites

Benefits of Urban Green Spaces
- they can improve health, social well being and enjoyment of the environment 


Environmental Benefits 


- can include the maintenance of biodiversity and regulation of the urban climate
- minimises pollution by filtering air, removing pollution and lowering noise pollution 
- biodiversity and nature conservation in green spaces protects the reproduction of species and the conservation of plants, soil and water quality 
- creates a sense of relief and a link with the natural world


Economic and Aesthetic Benefits  

- saves energy because trees and green spaces reduce the temperature of buildings reducing the amount of energy needed to cool buildings artificially. They also help air curculation and give shade, lowering air temperature
- property values are increased because it is desirable to have green spaces which are aesthetic 


Social and Psychological Benefits 

- green spaces are used for recreation and wellbeing. They are used for leisure activities and are multi use.These spaces encourage people to interact and connect.
- they improve public health as they help with mental fatigue and reduces frustration and crime. They help people with health and mental well being by allowing people to relax. Physical health and well being is improved through sports, interacting with nature and being outside in fresh air and sunlight. It can also help with medical problems such as high blood pressure and cholesterol levels. 


Sustainability and Urban Green Spaces 

-  interdisciplinary approaches need to be considered to improve and develop new green spaces
- if green spaces are designed, managed and protected the quality of cities increases
- social aspects of green spaces include helping healthy and active lifestyles, opportunities to interact and expand social network and provide space for environmental education 
- green spaces can be found in business, retail, leisure development etc
- green spaces can have economic benefits such as the production of fruits, wood , jobs, tourism 
- green spaces reduce the impact of humans by reducing pollution and converting it to oxygen. This allows creates clean air , water and soil as well as providing places for urban wildlife 

https://www.arch2o.com/urban-green-spaces-challenge-cities/



Cities Alive Booklet 






- Population growth and climate change mean that cities need to provide for our needs and pleasure
- 'green' should not be considered and add on but as part of the solution 
- nature can contribute to urban technology and science 
- population growth, climate change, resource depletion, pollution and urbanisation are global challenges but felt most in cities
- Natural Environment White Paper 2011 and National Planning Policy Framework 2012 show how nature can help create more sustainable development. Reflects the public interest in green cities. The NPPF says that land needs to be multi-functional both in rural and urban developments and recognise that open land can have different functions for wildlife, recreation, minimising flood risk, food production and minimising carbon emissions
- The ecosystem services aimed to look at the value of nature as humans rely on the resources it provides
- 'Actions taken and decisions made now will have consequences far into the future for ecosystes, ecosystems services and human wellbeing'
- green infastructure is an effective tool in preventing flooding and heatwaves 
- Cities Alive suggests a design approach that promotes nature within urban environments
- the natural environment supplies economic prosperity, health and well being 
- aims to create a connected city ecosystem for people and wildlife
- components in cities that provide ecosystem services include, open spaces, natural areas, urban woodland and parks,green streets, squares, sustainable drainage systems, rivers and waterways , cycle paths and paths, greenroofs, walls and facades
- green infastructure aims to link and create new components 
- multifunctional design means spaces can have more than one purpose providing social, environmental and economic benefits 
- using nature in the the design of urban places can improve social cohesion, mental and physical health (with resulting economic savings), lower crime, economic vitality, inward investment and increased property prices; and better urban microclimates, reduced pollution, flood resistance, an increase in biodiversity and lower city carbon footprints.
- for this to be achieved there needs to be strong policies, collaboration,investment, embracing new technologies and long term views on the benefits to society.
- can be integrated into current and future designs in an aesthetic way 
- it is sustainable design for urban environments
- small scale interventions are important for limited space but it needs to be considered on a city scale also
- it can be difficult to protect existing green space from development 
- green spaces provide social and economic benefits 
- green infrastructure works best when joined together to form a wider network
- since 2007 a majority of people live in towns and cities, which has created social, economic and environmental pressures
- it is a challenge to create spaces that are innovative and safe and healthy for people and nature
- cities can combine nature and people to re-balance urbanisation 
- needs to work with nature rather than against it 
- high land prices, developments and urban infrastructure have pushed nature out 
- growing awareness from people and governments about the social,environmental and economic benefits
- The London Olympic Park , La Promenade Plantee in Paris and the High Line in New York were refurbished to integrate nature showing how areas can be successfully refurbished 
- In 2050 the population will reach 9 billion with 75% living in cities 
- urbanisation creates issues with microclimates, biodiversity . land prices etc 
- areas of social and economic deprivation often have poor health and reduced life expectancy which can be linked to less access to green space 
- green neighbourhoods often have higher house prices
- people recover from illness quicker so less is spent on healthcare 
- people move to cities for different reasons e.g. culture , experience, creating an aesthetic challenge of being able to create urban experiences that people will want


Encouraging Healthy and Sustainable Lifestyles 

- 2020 two thirds of OECD nations will be obese but this will remain the same as the generation of conscious consumers forms the larger demographic 
- focus more on healthy, sustainable and sociable lifestyles 
- city trees enhance traffic calming measure with tall trees making streets feel narrower, slowing drivers , whilst close trees create a sense of speed. No trees create a sense of no hazard encoraging dangerous driving 
- road reallocations allow more space for pedestrians, cyclists and vegetation and allow people to choose other methods of transport creating healthier lifestyles  
- community gardens allow for the production of fresh food and it strengthens communities. They can be created by converting empty plots of land
- Part - activism groups have sprung up such as the Guerilla Gardeners and Park(ing) Day. Guerilla gardeners plant flowers and do small scale landscaping in disused areas at night. Park(ing) Day is an event where street parking spaces are turfed and garden ornaments are added to draw attention to issues around green space.
- crime rates are lowered in green areas because there is more pride in the area
- green infastructure has limited funding because developers want to maximise development space 








Environmental Benefits 


- green infrastructure can protect against climate change 
- it can decrease carbon emissions , protect against flooding, heatwaves and drought
- space should be set aside for water sensitive urban design such as reed beds, new water bodies, which can help with water filtration and drainage
- more permeable surfaces are needed in cities to reduce flooding, surfaces such as concrete , tarmac and roofed areas need to be reduced


Fostering Urban Biodiversity 

- biodiversity is important for the health of cities and can increase economics, resources, tourist attractions and revenue 
- bio-luminescent plants could be used as street lights which would reduce carbon emissions
- green infrastructure can can be a way of repopulating and encouraging rare wildlife back 
- The UK Wildlife Trusts Living Landscapes Initiative is a landscape conservation project to restore and stop the decline of wildlife
- it needs to be considered what kind of habitats appeal to wildlife and humans 
- established urban areas can find it difficult to introduce biodiversity because of limited space, however green roofs, walls and facades, reuse of old infrastructure and temporary occupation of empty spaces can be used  
- in dense areas multi story design will be needed on roofs, walls and elevations 
- green roofs in Basel were originally pushed as being energy saving but also for biodiversity. The programme is used as a form of ecological compensation where development has destroyed habitat


Integrating Urban Food 

- alternatives to mass agriculture are needed as we will at some point not be producing enough food for the amount that is consumed, the city could be used as an alternative 
- vertical farming and urban agriculture such as hydroponics could be used to meet demand 
- guerilla gardening , cooperative urban farm scemes , vertical farming and aquaculture can be used in cities 


Renewing Urban Spaces 

- there needs to be a better balance between green and grey 
- development pressures mean that empty spaces need to be regenerated and renewed


Enabling Energy and Resource Efficiency

- living ecosystems can be combined with the city to make it more efficient and improve the quality of life and resource prosperity of residents 
- tree reduce carbon emissions by absorbing pollution , they also cool and insulate preventing urban heat island effect 
- in copenhagen buildings with less than a 30 degree slope will need a green roof 
- mobile green walls allow for adaptability of spaces with a low carbon footprint 
- green concrete absorbs carbon from the atmosphere and stores thermal energy 
- streets provide space for social interaction  

- Biotope area factor is a regulation in Berlin means that a portion of a development must be left undeveloped allowing green infrastructure to be created 


Future Proofing 

- it should be considered who will be using and maintaining the space in the future
- the city should be seen as an ecosystem 
- educating users and clients about the role nature can play in the city 
- spaces need to be adaptable so that they can change and grow  


https://www.arup.com/publications/research/section/cities-alive-rethinking-green-infrastructure




Guerrila Gardening in the UK is a sign of failure






- seen as an exciting thing to do by the media 
- growing things without permission 
- it is a sign of failure suggesting that communities are not functioning, people are isolated, communication has broken down between the public and councillors and that the environment is in decline
- has good intentions but can lead to plants becoming invasive in new habitats 
- communities however also change their areas by using the system which gets results 
- community horticulture can change towns and cities, create tourism, encourage biodiversity and make places happier to live 
- guerrilla gardening is a plaster on the problem rather than solving it

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/gardening-blog/2014/oct/22/guerrilla-gardening-uk-failure


Why we all need Greening Grey Britain


 

- paving over gardens effects the wider environment
- hard surfaces can create more flooding and increases temperatures within towns and cities 
- small spaces can include both nature and people / cars 
- there are plants that can live in difficult places and are perfect for front gardens
- using new materials for paving can allow rainwater to soak away 

- RHS commissioned a report in 2005 and 2015 
- three times as many front gardens are paved over compared to ten years ago 
- front gardens have decreased by 15%
- 5 million front gardens have no plants growing in them 
- 4.5 million gardens are completely paved over 
- need to reverse this for health, wildlife, reducing pollution and the effects of heatwaves and flooding.
- anyone can plant up an area which will provide for wildlife, increase health and reduce floods 
- they set a three year target to convert 6000 grey spaces into green spaces
- pulling up paving stones, having window boxes, planting front gardens and changing grey community areas

- paving can be seen as the solution to parking problems 
- gardens soak up rain, whilst paving increases the amount of rainwater that runs off by 50%. This goes into drains which can't cope creating flooding.
- hard surfaces mean there is less regulation of temperatures within cities and towns, they absorb heat during the day and release it at night
- 'heat island effect' can lead to poorer air quality, localised weather conditions, higher temperatures and thunderstorms, air conditioning is more likely to be fitted increasing energy consumption 
- removal of trees and plants on streets mean there are less places for wildlife and insects
- green front gardens create privacy and help people meet each other 
- subsidence is caused by hard surfaces 
- even if parking is needed there are ways of intergrating plants into these areas such as planting under cars, introducing shrubs and trees , using containers and adding climbers 
- Paving can be replaced by brick pavers, gravel, matrix pavers and grass reinforcement

https://www.rhs.org.uk/communities/pdf/Greener-Streets/greening-grey-britain-report.pdf 

RHS Campaign Greening Grey Britain






- gardens have an important role in urban and suburban areas
- they support wildlife, protect against flooding, encourage exercise and health etc 
- 'greening' aims to grow things in places in towns and cities 
- people may have small gardens individually but this adds up to a large green space of approx 25% of land in cities 

Benefits of making urban areas more green:
- helps with air cooling in cities and towns during the summer
- garden vegetation insulates buildings 
- air quality is improved
- reduces garden flooding 
- provides habitats for wildlife
- benefits health of people and plants 

RHS Front Garden Summit 
- key part is about converting paved over front gardens
it also considered the negative effect that paved over areas have on the environment and wellbeing

- Community projects such as Britain in Bloom and It's Your Neighbourhood enable people to green their local environment. This can include running community gardens, renovating run down areas and litter picking / recycling 

https://www.rhs.org.uk/science/gardening-in-a-changing-world/greening-grey-britain/urban-planting


Greening Grey Britian



 

- 4.5 million front gardens have no plants in them at all 
- a quarter of front gardens are completely paved over 
- 60% of people in the UK worry about paved front gardens and flooding 


Initiatives for greening urban areas 
- pulling up a paving stone and planting it up
- having a window box
- planting front gardens 
- changing community areas 

Who can be involved?
- can have a large garden or window box, anyone with outdoor space can make a difference


How Green is your City? UK's top 10 mapped and ranked 






- green space in Britain varies widely 
- Esri UK analysed Landsat 8 satellitte image for the 10 most populated cities in the UK






1. Edinburgh 49.2%
2. Glasgow 32%
3. Bristol 29%
4. Birmingham 24.6%
5. Greater London 23%
6. Sheffield 22.1%
7. Leeds 21.7%
8. Manchester 20.4%
9. Bradford 18.4%
10. Liverpool 16.4%

https://www.theguardian.com/cities/gallery/2017/jan/05/green-space-uk-largest-cities-mapped

Case Study - Leeds Central Square , Urban Planters Franchise

 

- Gold Leaf Award Winner 
- aimed to create a winter garden with seasonal year round interest 
- would have internal and external installations 
- the design would be for public spaces below the offices, where cafes and retail units were situated 









- the green wall has 8,600 plants in the internal and external areas 
- the green wall provides a link between the internal and external planting 
- the green walls allow life, colour and texture to be introduced into the large modern building 

http://www.efig.co.uk/index.php/all-news/item/case-study-leeds-central-square-urban-planters-franchise?jjj=1516792604483


Discovering Urban Biodiversity 





- biodiversity is being lost mainly because of habitat degradation
- the two main causes of habitat destruction are agriculture and urbanisation
- as more of the world is urbanised there is less space for wildlife 
- however many elements of nature, rocks, soils , sunlight, water and life stay despite cities growing around them 
- there is less known by scientists when it comes to urban biodiversity 
- the kinds of species and their numbers will change but some will remain
- urban environments also create new habitats for other wildelife
- urban biodiversity includes small things like plants in pavement cracks, insects feeding, microbes etc 
- parts of cities aren't as heavily built up e.g. parks , low density housing 
- urban biodiversity can be rich 
- documenting species present in cities including where and when they were observed allows better understanding of wildlife distribution
- contact with nature can positively affect peoples health, attitudes and behaviours 
- biodiversity blindness means that the biodiversity that is present goes undetected by a lot of people 
- biodiversity impacts people subconsciously however people do not know a lot about the wildlife they share their spaces with 
- however there are lots of opportunities to learn about natural history
- can also independently learn e.g. Leaf snap is an app that identifies leaf species
- having a personal connection with an issue motivates people to do something about it

https://www.thenatureofcities.com/2012/08/14/discovering-urban-biodiversity/


Accommodating biodiversity in urban environments 

- retrofitting urban areas to include more biodiversity is necessary but difficult to prevent species decline 
- habitat destruction is the main problem for biodiversity 
- cities and urban populations are expanding at a rapid rate 
- where healthy habitats exist these should be retained 
- plant pockets are made from environmentally friendly material and hold wildflower seeds. They can be moved around to form a green surface on new and existing roofs.
- biodiversity solutions will not be put into new designs or retro fitted if developers don't have an incentive to do it or have to because of legislation.

https://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/biodiversity-in-urban-environments

Increasing Biodiversity Habitat using Urban Green Infrastructure

- reducing the destruction and degrading of habitats and what is left of habitats 
- restoring and managing habitats is important for biodiversity 
- creating new habitats for biodiversity in cities is important 
- how vegetation is managed influences what animals occur
- large urban green spaces provide high biodiversity benefits to a variety of groups 
- restoration of habitats can take place without compromising recreational values 
- garden bed / lawn spaces could be used to increase urban biodiversity e.g. bio-retention basins 
- bioretention basins had significantly more diversity 
- important factors in bio-retention basins include leaf litter depth, vegetation structure, number of flowering plants, size of bio-retention basin
- green roofs help to restore ecosystem function in high density urban areas
- green infrastructure can create new habitats in cities e.g meadows, sustainable , streetscapes, rain gardens, rooftops, parks, waterfronts

http://www.joondalup.wa.gov.au/Libraries/Biodivercities_day_two/Caragh_Threlfall_-_University_of_Melbourne.pdf