Last updated: October 2021
The Green Grid aimed to link urban and rural neighborhoods with a network of quality green spaces and corridors of landscape, recreational and ecological value. The aim was to achieve the added benefits by managing open space resources as a set of linkable sites rather than in isolation. It was a planning intervention that was focused on connecting a high quality, functional green space network (Ref 1). The intervention was part of "Greening the Gateway Kent & Medway" (Ref 2).
Environmental and Green Belt Designations in Medway
www.medway.gov.uk/futuremedway
Overview
Nature-based solution
- Grey infrastructure featuring greens
- Alley or street trees and other street vegetation
- Railroad bank and track greens
- Green playgrounds and school grounds
- Institutional green space
- Blue infrastructure
- Riverbank/Lakeside greens
- Parks and urban forests
- Large urban parks or forests
- Pocket parks/neighbourhood green spaces
- Green corridors and green belts
- Community gardens and allotments
- Allotments
- Community gardens
- Coastal wetland, mangroves and salt marshes
Key challenges
- Climate action for adaptation, resilience and mitigation (SDG 13)
- Climate change adaptation
- Water management (SDG 6)
- Flood protection
- Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
- Habitat and biodiversity conservation
- Green space creation and/or management
- Inclusive and effective governance (SDG 16)
- Combatting crime and corruption
- Health and well-being (SDG 3)
- Enabling opportunities for physical activity
- Creation of opportunities for recreation
- Economic development and employment (SDG 8)
- Tourism support
- Cultural heritage and cultural diversity
- Protection of historic and cultural landscape/infrastructure
Focus
Creation of new green areas, Maintenance and management of urban nature, Knowledge creation and awareness raising
Project objectives
1. Create safer routes to work and schools, 2. Provide access to nature, 3. Support habitat for biodiversity, 4. Provide outdoor classrooms and gyms, 5. Provide a space for outdoor cultural events, 6. Adapt to climate change (e.g. flood regulation), 7. Attract investments, 8. Attract visitors and tourists, 9. A space for relaxation (all from Ref 1).
Also, Green Grid aims to achieve added benefits by managing all elements of the open space resource (parks, play area, allotments, urban countryside areas) as a series of linkable sites rather than in isolation (ref. 1).
Implementation activities
1. Mapping the existing green spaces and their access points, including all types of ecological domains outlined in the action plan, among which are alleys and street hedges, railroad greens, playgrounds, institutional greenspace, riverbank greens, urban-
and pockets parks, green corridors, allotments, community gardens and wetland (Ref 1),
2. Create green infrastructure to generate and connect 7 "green routes" throughout the city (Ref 1).
Climate-focused activities
Climate change adaptation:
- Increase or improve urban vegetation cover to help reduce outdoor temperature
Biodiversity conservation or restoration-focused activities
Biodiversity conservation:
- Protect and enhance urban habitats
- Preserve and strengthen existing habitats and ecosystems
- Create new habitats
- Preserve and strengthen habitat connectivity
- Protect species
- Undertake specific measures to protect species
- Means for conservation governance
- Biodiversity offsets
- Raise public awareness
- Public engagement
- Capacity building
Main beneficiaries
- Local government/Municipality
- Public sector institution (e.g. school or hospital)
- Citizens or community groups
Governance
Management set-up
- Government-led
Type of initiating organisation
- Regional government
- Local government/municipality
Participatory approaches/ community involvement
- Unknown
Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project
The local government commissioned the Green Grid action plan, but it was part of the regional government's Greening the Gateway partnership (Ref 1).
Project implemented in response to ...
... an EU policy or strategy?
Unknown
... a national policy or strategy?
Unknown
... a local policy or strategy?
Yes
(This action plan is informed by and helps to deliver the policy, standards and targets contained in the Medway Countryside and Open Spaces Strategy. It is one of six Action Plans which together constitute Medway Council’s aspiration for promoting an open spaces and
countryside resource. The government's Sustainable Communities plan, the supporting Greening the Gateway Strategy and the Thames Gateway Regional Planning Document (RPG9A) all address the pressing need for green spaces (Ref 1). )
Financing
Total cost
More than €4,000,000
Source(s) of funding
- Public regional budget
- Public local authority budget
Type of funding
- Earmarked public budget
Non-financial contribution
Unknown
Impacts and Monitoring
Environmental impacts
- Environmental quality
- Reduced noise exposure
- Water management and blue areas
- Increased protection against flooding
- Green space and habitat
- Promotion of naturalistic styles of landscape design for urban development
- Increased number of protection areas
- Increased green space area
- Increased conservation or restoration of ecosystems
- Increase in protected green space areas
- Reduced biodiversity loss
- Increased ecological connectivity across regeneration sites and scales
Economic impacts
- More sustainable tourism
Socio-cultural impacts
- Safety
- Increased perception of safety
- Social justice and cohesion
- Improved social cohesion
- Improved liveability
- Improved access to urban green space
- Increased opportunities for social interaction
- Health and wellbeing
- Gain in activities for recreation and exercise
- Cultural heritage and sense of place
- Promotion of cultural diversity
- Protection of historic and cultural landscape / infrastructure
Type of reported impacts
Achieved impacts
Presence of formal monitoring system
Yes
Presence of indicators used in reporting
No evidence in public records
Presence of monitoring/ evaluation reports
No evidence in public records
Availability of a web-based monitoring tool
No evidence in public records
References
1: Medway Council. (2007). Medway Green Grid Action Plan - Draft. (Accessed 10 August 2020)
2: Medway Council. (2007). Medway Wildlife, Countryside and Open Space Strategy 2008 - 2016. Draft. (Accessed 10 August 2020)
3: Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. (2004). Creating sustainable communities: Greening the Gateway. Draft. (Accessed 10 August 2020)
2: Medway Council. (2007). Medway Wildlife, Countryside and Open Space Strategy 2008 - 2016. Draft. (Accessed 10 August 2020)
3: Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. (2004). Creating sustainable communities: Greening the Gateway. Draft. (Accessed 10 August 2020)