OUGD505 - Studio Brief 2 - How can we best utilise green spaces within cities? - Areas that help people and biodiversity

Utilising space best for both people and biodiversity 

Key research was considered and solutions to these problems were considered

Creating Wildlife Corridors / Stepping stones

- These allow wildlife to move from place to place
- Allows wildlife to reconnect with the wider environment 
- Includes things such as ponds, woodland and watercourses 
- Create city islands which would be pockets of greenery within the city 

Community / Neighbourhood Green space 

- Provide basic ingredients for mini habitats, so the community can create small green spaces in their area. This planting event would provide the fundamentals of green space creating pocket patches for wildlife 
- Renting out public space to people with no garden allows people to look after patches, improves the city and helps biodiversity because their habitats are being protected
- having a personal connection with something motivates people to do something 

Increase accessibility to green space

- Green spaces need to be within proximity for people to use them
- Allow people to experience things within nature 
- By showing people where spaces are and what features they have they are more likely to use them 
- Green spaces could be connected by a trail around the city which would create tourism and encourage the use of the green spaces 
- having a personal connection with something motivates people to do something 

Enhancing streetscapes

- Streets are spaces for social interaction and people are more likely to spend time in spaces if they are attractive  
- streets provide space for social interaction
- To enhance the quality of the city environment vegetation should  e encouraged near buildings
- Businesses could improve streetscapes by including window boxes , green roofs , walls and facades as part of a green scheme
- Urban seating with habitats for wildlife and people will bring both together allowing for the integration and increase of wildlife within the city 
- people move to cities for different reasons e.g. culture and experience
- create urban experiences that people want  

Enhance spaces for wildlife

- The fundamentals of a habitat should be included e.g. understorey and canopy vegetation such as leaf litter, logs, long grass, ponds and streams  
- Protecting current green areas and habitats is important. These could be emphasised to make them attractions.
- It can be difficult to protect existing green space from development 
- Funding is being cut, if green space is not used then it will be built on 
- High land prices mean developments and urban infrastructure have pushed nature out 
- it can be difficult to introduce biodiversity because of limited space
- where healthy habitats exist these should be retained
- it needs to be considered what kind of habitats appeal to wildlife and people 
- Adopting a space would allow for the protection, maintenance and renewal of plots This would be a community project in which people volunteer to look after the patches.