Wellbeing from Greenspace a Community Planning Toolkit
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Wellbeing from Greenspace a Community Planning Toolkit Resilient Green Infrastructure within the Neighbourhood Planning / Localism Agenda •Responding to… •Need for resilience in community based initiatives •Realizing the untapped resource around us- our green infrastructure Valuing and re-visioning the ‘Everywhere Landscape’ The issue to address • Much of Greenspace viewed as Non performative, of minimal benefit to its community and expensive to maintain = result: …at best- under used, at worst- increasingly sold off piecemeal for development The solution • ‘Resilient Green Infrastructure’ (RGI) We should expect our local greenspaces to make us… – Healthier – Wealthier – More resilient to deliver… – Wellbeing- joy! – Diversity of experience – we still need ‘the wild’ By becoming… more relevant to peoples needs & managed by the people that use them Resilient Green Infrastructure - is here! Happening in a neighbourhood near you… • Wealthier/ more resilient - (Carbon Trust UK / Stevens Croft Wood Burning Plant, United Kingdom / French rural biomass- Cordiale / WREN (Wadebridge Renewable Energy Network ) Resilient Green Infrastructure is here! Happening in a neighbourhood near you… • Wellbeing/ more resilient- ("Wellbeing Facilitator" Stennack Surgery, utilising green gym volunteering in community space / Play 4 Life RCHT / Resilient Green Infrastructure is here! Happening in a neighbourhood near you… • Healthier/ more resilient – (CSA projects-Rust-belt USA) / ‘Landshare’ & emergent UK allotment movement / Chyan Community Field) Resilient Green Infrastructure is here! Happening in a neighbourhood near you… • More diverse – we need ‘the wild’(Cornwall Wildlife Trust -55 nature reserves over 2000 hectares), Cross-cutting agendas around Wellbeing achieved through RGI • A triple bottom line approach to achieving personal and societal wellbeing through ongoing community action… • a balance of : – Economic – Environmental – Social …issues must be addressed to create a resilient & sustainable model RGI Activity Delivering Wellbeing • Local Food & Health / Combating food poverty • Local fuel and economic resilience • Local water conservation and quality • Local environmental conservation and management for human wellbeing & wildlife conservation • Resilient + Sustainable short supply chains and circular (rather than open ended) input /output systems • Skills training & education to resource resilient, intergenerational, socially mobile people networks • Inter-sectoral working: public, private, voluntary sectors to build in resilience • Local Strategic Partnerships joint working benefits: Health, Economy, Environment Multi-sectoral partners / beneficiaries must be involved in RGI Private Sector Potential for injecting project resilience • Commercial companies pump priming capital and capacity to adapt in support from ‘little-on-up’… • Local landowners becoming partners in wider community based initiatives for mutual benefit • Privately owned unused land becoming available for community use through ‘Landshare’ & similar initiatives • Logistics & Transport expertise and capacity • Marketing expertise and markets • Innovation & diversification potential • Local employment potential • Potential partners in multi-sectoral resource funding bids Multi-sectoral partners / beneficiaries must be involved in RGI Public & Voluntary Sector Support Guiding the strategic vision, Resilience delivered through service commissioning, Access to strategic funding resources: • Community Health Agenda • Local Education, Skills & Training Agenda • Local Economic Growth and Support • Local Environmental Protection & Development Planning • Capitalising local projects through service commissioning delivered by greenspace: education & training, direct health & wellbeing services through Green Prescription / Green Gym RGI strategies must be designed & managed by communities themselves • Top down working will not develop ownership and long term buy-in amongst the community • Although multi-sectoral partners / beneficiaries must be involved to deliver resilience, the management must be from and by local stakeholder communities • There must be demonstrable, measurable benefits to guarantee increased and sustained buy-in and support • There must be accountable inclusive, democratic management to guarantee increased and sustained buy-in and support • …so what might the delivery vehicle be? Localism, Resilience & Wellbeing • Neighbourhood Planning should be about delivering a new vision for peoples relationship with their environment and each other… • The project proposed supports the aspirations of the Localism Bill, with a vision for more independent planning & management of local resources by communities for their collective benefits • Planning for Wellbeing should be integral to the NP Planning agenda • The Wellbeing from Greenspace Community Planning Toolkit methodology described below aims to support balanced Neighbourhood Planning objectives: Wellbeing from Greenspace Community Planning Toolkit Methodology: 1- Mapping Greenspace Resource map the possibilities… both the obvious and the hidden green infrastructure around us: public space- parks and gardens in-between greenspace – road, rail & path verges & street corner greenspace institutional greenspace- school grounds, education & healthcare campuses commercial private greenspace- business & retail parks, industrial estates, shelter belts private space- private gardens & estates woodland & hedgerows- in farmland and within townscape wetlands & watercourses- streams, ponds, foreshore underused agricultural land- awkward, steep and ‘uneconomically small’ land parcels wilderness- moorland & marshland, coast & cliff Derelict & Despoiled land- mining and post-industrial land Wellbeing from Greenspace Community Planning Toolkit Methodology: 2- Analysing Greenspace Potential each space is analysed for potential uses relating to key site properties & their appropriateness for different functions, e.g.: size of space physical characteristics e.g.: landform, aspect , drainage, soil, vegetation proximity to public access routes current land use / uses value to local community ecological value ownership neighbouring land uses Toolkit produces options and priorities depending on site qualities Wellbeing from Greenspace Community Planning Toolkit Methodology: 3- Learning & Planning: Support from Best Practice Examples possible strategies for RGI activity within each space and across the range of spaces identified within project area are rigorously explored & tested with reference to similar case study examples identified elsewhere Support and learning provided through: Toolkit Hub online database Toolkit online networking site Toolkit project partner mentoring Case study project team contact (site visits / exchanges or teleconferences) Wellbeing from Greenspace Community Planning Toolkit Methodology: 4- Needs/ Benefits Analysis based on its evaluation for potential use, each space is analysed for its potential opportunities & benefits to the community: economic, educational, environmental, social & prioritised against the needs of the community e.g.: - Local food production, marketing and distribution through community supported agriculture and Landshare programs, boosting local economy and buffering against food poverty - Community biomass fuel production & energy generation through low carbon technology boosting local economy and buffering against fuel poverty - Responsible management of environments to promote resilient, biodiverse wildlife communities, whilst ensuring a balanced provision of effective amenity space for human relaxation and recreation - Green classroom opportunities to create generations for whom green infrastructure is part of everyday life vocational training opportunity (Transferable Land based Skills Training Initiative) for local people to engage in skills vital to the management and delivery of Resilient Green Infrastructure - Local employment opportunity being paid to deliver Resilient Green Infrastructure and its service industries - Advance development and management of Resilient Green Infrastructure resource around potential development areas & ‘Growth Points’ - Provision of key research opportunities to create positive research and design development feedback loops for the pilot studies, and to support the promotion of Resilient Green Infrastructure Methodology: 5- Cross Referencing Wellbeing Benefits based on the analysis and prioritising in stage 4 a Strategy for Wellbeing is generated with links to the Health and Wellbeing Strategy and Public Health Outcome Framework- benefits, e.g.: Enabling longer happier and healthier lives Green space for exercise/health More physically active adults More supportive environments Promoting access to information, advice and support for work, volunteering and progression to work Reduced debt, poverty and homelessness Supporting Independent Living Supporting people with mental illness or disability Employment for those with a long term health condition, learning difficulty /disability or mental illness Supporting re-engagement of young people into education, employment & training Creative approaches to the ESF (Not in Education Employment or Training) for young people Providing Green Gym and prescription for primary care health promotion & treatment Promoting the wellbeing sector as a potential driver for the Cornish economy Methodology: 6- Mapping Delivery Capacity & Need to develop a prioritised Resilient Green Infrastructure Strategy assessing the private,