John Handley

City form and natural process - Indicators for the ecological performance of urban areas and their application to Merseyside, UK

It is well known that urbanisation has many deleterious ecological effects. These may be mitigated by good urban design but the first step in doing this is to quantify them. This paper describes four simple ecological performance indicators which quantify the effects of urbanisation on surface temperature, hydrology, carbon storage and sequestration, and biodiversity. They have been developed and customised from recent studies, are simple to use, and require a minimum of input information; the only major inputs needed are the percentages of the different surface covers. The indicators were tested by applying them to four urban areas of Merseyside, UK, of contrasting affluence. The results showed that the greatest influence on ecological performance was the percentage of greenspace, particularly of trees. The affluent areas had lower temperatures, less run-off, more stored carbon, and higher diversity, largely because they had more open area and woodland cover. These results suggest that the indicators could be a useful planning tool, facilitating the comparison of existing urban areas, and helping to predict the ecological impact of new developments. However, the indicators also suggest that compact cities with good regional performance will inevitably have poorer performance locally, because of a lack of greenspace. The performance indicators could determine the potential of possible means of amelioration such as the use of roof gardens or permeable paving.

Adaptation Strategies for Climate Change in the Urban Environment: Assessing Climate Change Related Risk in UK Urban Areas

This paper presents a conurbation‐scale risk assessment methodology which aims to provide a screening tool to assist with planning for climate change‐related risks in the urban environment. This work has been undertaken as part of a wider, interdisciplinary project, Adaptation Strategies for Climate Change in the Urban Environment (ASCCUE). The main focus of ASCCUE is to help improve understanding of the consequences of climate change for urban areas and how these, and the neighbourhoods within them, can best be adapted. Adaptation options will be explored in the context of both conurbation‐scale strategic planning and neighbourhood‐level urban design. The paper conveys some of the initial outputs from the ASCCUE project. It firstly presents the overarching risk assessment framework, before outlining the GIS‐based elements of the methodology. This draws on a characterisation of the urban area into distinctive “urban morphology units” as the spatial framework for the analytical work. An example of heat related risk is given by way of an illustrative application of the methodology. The paper concludes with a consideration of the limitations of the approach and how some of these will be tackled as part of the ongoing work programme.

Restructuring the post-industrial landscape: a multifunctional approach

Abstract Using the example of the Dearne Valley in South Yorkshire, England, a notion of multifunctionality, and its potential to be utilized in post-industrial regeneration is explored. Multifunctionality is defined as an integration of different functions within the same or overlapping land unit, at the same or overlapping in time, and is a framework whereby a holistic view of a landscape can be examined. The multi-criteria analysis approach to mapping potential in the landscape highlights the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats in this part of post-industrial England. The graphical format enables the elements of the landscape to be identified and this offers potential for a basis of consultation in the process of regeneration. By examining the place of post-industrial sites in the context of the landscape in which they are situated will enable their potential to be realized, rather than viewing them as individual problems. The paper concludes by examining how a concept of multifunctionality can address some of the shortcomings in the current regeneration delivery environment, and suggests that this approach may bring about post-industrial landscapes that are not only new, but better.

Urban Waterfront Regeneration in the Mersey Basin, North West England

The economic decline of traditional dockland areas has released considerable areas of land for redevelopment, much of which is close to the heart of city centres. The property development industry has capitalized upon these assets to the extent that port-related redevelopmentis a common feature throughout North America and Europe. This paper explores the experience of the Mersey Basin in North West England which, under the Mersey Basin Campaign initiative, has sought to explicitly connect improvements in water quality to economic regeneration. A small survey of commercial property valuers was used to explore this relationship and revealed the importance of water in the property development process, through potential increases in value and an enhancement of the marketability of property adjacent to water. Equally, improved water quality is revealed as an important precursor to waterside economic regeneration. Here, investment must, as with the preparation of derelict and contaminated land for redevelopment, be regarded as a public good, nurturing good water quality as an asset for the benefit of future generations and as a part of realizing the full potential of waterfront regeneration.

Changes to climate and visitor behaviour: implications for vulnerable landscapes in the North West region of England.

Many high quality landscapes can be found in the North West region of England, including those of international significance such as the Lake District National Park. These natural assets are recognised by the regional tourism strategy as particularly important, as they are a major determinant for visitors within, and to, the region. However, with the strategy geared towards increasing visitor numbers, there is a substantial challenge to be faced in the future: how to maintain the quality of an environment that is under combined pressure from both visitor numbers and climate change? Focusing on two landscape types considered to be the most vulnerable to a changing climate, the coastal zone and the uplands, this paper presents ‘downscaled’ climate change scenarios, and provides an assessment of how a combination of climate and non-climate factors are likely to impact these vulnerable landscapes in the future. The case study analysis is largely drawn from a series of ‘risk’ workshops held with key regional stakeholders.

Sustainable Development and Institutional Design: The Example of the Mersey Basin Campaign

The Mersey Basin Campaign was established in 1985 in the North West of England to address continuing problems of water quality and associated landward dereliction of the River Mersey and its tributaries. The Campaigns premise that water quality should be improved both for its own sake and as a stimulus to regeneration has proved to be well founded and has subsequently been extended to embrace community action to help nurture watercourse improvement and care. The Campaign can now be seen as a model for engaging co-ordinated environmental action through a partnership approach. This paper explores the nature of the Mersey Basin Campaign as an example of the new structures which are being developed in order to help deliver the new environmentalpolicy agenda. It is argued that the Campaign stands as a model for what will become an increasing need to develop focused environmental planning and management at the sub-regional and regional scales.

Defining coherence for landscape planning and management: a regional landscape strategy for North West England

Abstract The range of environmental activity in the North West of England is as diverse as its landscapes. These embrace some of the finest, but also some of the most degraded, landscapes in the UK; to date however, there has been no overall co‐ordination of initiatives aimed at their protection and rehabilitation. The emergence of regional planning guidance, a regional economic strategy and the agenda of sustainable development demands a more integrative, strategic approach to environmental action. This paper details the development of a regional landscape strategy which seeks to provide the connection between action at the regional and the neighbourhood levels through the co‐ordination, reinforcement and innovation of environmental activity. The regional landscape strategy provides a focus around which the interests of public, private and voluntary bodies can coalesce and a medium for the articulation of policy aspirations relating to the sustainable planning and management of landscapes.

Managing the Flow of Construction Minerals in the North West Region of England

Summary This article, focusing on the flow of bulk construction minerals, establishes a mass balance framework for the North West of England, a region that imports more aggregate material than any other in the United Kingdom. The problems associated with construction minerals are of a different nature than most other resource flow issues: Depletion of resources and contamination are not considered major problems; rather it is the environmental impact resulting from life-cycle stages from extraction, transport, processing, through to final disposal that is most important. A mass balance framework can promote a better understanding of the regional flow of materials, and the impact of human activity on surrounding ecosystems, and hence underpin informed decision making. This is of particular relevance at the current time because increasing political emphasis is placed on sustainable resource management and resource productivity at the United Kingdom and European Union levels. Using a mass balance framework to analyze the sustainability impacts of construction and mineral flows in the North West of England, this study finds that flows resulting from construction activity account for 34,075 terajoules (TJ) of energy resulting in 2,701 gigagrams (Gg) of carbon dioxide emissions related to energy use, and 387 Gg of carbon dioxide emissions related to the transportation of the minerals. Against these impacts, the flow of bulk construction mineral salso supports 147,000 jobs within the region.

Pathways through the Landscape in a Changing Climate: The Role of Landscape Structure in Facilitating Species Range Expansion through an Urbanised Region

Abstract Under climate change many species may need to shift polewards to track suitable bioclimatic conditions. This movement is likely to be impeded by intensively modified landscapes, but little is known in practice about how species undergo range expansion in these conditions. Using biological record data, this paper explores the occurrence of five butterfly species undertaking range expansion in the UK through an urbanised landscape to better understand the ‘pathways’ or landscape features used to expand their distributions. The findings demonstrate that the two most adaptable species were able to navigate well through the urban matrix. Significantly, the remaining three species used more rural pathways, with two using stepping stones of habitat patches and landscape corridors and the final, most specialised species using near-connected chains of woodland habitat. These findings emphasise the importance of retaining corridors of open land around hostile matrices and in this instance, a planning designation ‘Green Belt’ proved to be particularly effective in providing broad pathways of open land for range expansion through a heavily urbanised landscape.

Patterns of settlement compared

Preface and Acknowledgments Part I Introduction: The Challenge of Climate Change - Adaptation, Mitigation and Vulnerability 1. Climate Change and Spatial Planning Responses 2. Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation in Developed Nations: A Critical Perspective on the Adaptation Turn in Urban Climate Planning 3. Urban Form and Climate Change: Towards Appropriate Development Patterns to Mitigate and Adapt to Global Warming 4. Patterns of Settlement Compared 5. Transport Policies and Climate Change 6. Transitioning Away from Oil: A Transport Planning Case Study with Emphasis on US and Australian Cities 7. Climate Change Vulnerability: A New Threat to Poverty Alleviation in Developing Countries 8. Climate Change Vulnerability: Planning Challenges for Small Islands Part II Introduction: Strategic Planning Responses 9. The Territorial Agenda of the European Union - Progress for Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation? 10. Californias Climate Change Planning: Policy Innovation and Structural Hurdles 11. Climate Change and Australian Urban Resilience: The Limits of Ecological Modernisation as an Adaptive Strategy 12. Beyond a Technical Response: New Growth-management Experiments in Canada 13. Planning for Offshore Wind Energy in Northern Europe 14. Sustainable Construction and Design in UK Planning 15. Making Space for Water: Spatial Planning and Water Management in the Netherlands 16. Climate Change and Flood Risk Methodologies in the UK Part III Introduction: Implementation, Governance and Engagement 17. Use of Scenarios for Climate Change Adaptation in Spatial Planning 18. Integrated Assessment to Support Regional and Local Decision Making 19. Planning for Green Infrastructure: Adapting to Climate Change 20. Planning and Governance of Climate Change 21. A Climate of Planning: Swedish Municipal Responses to Climate Change 22. Moving Cities Towards a Sustainable Low Carbon Energy Future: Learning from Woking and London 23. Public Engagement in Planning for Renewable Energy