mapping the mersey forest exploring the significance of community-scale green infrastructure gemma...
TRANSCRIPT
Mapping the Mersey ForestExploring the significance of community-scale green infrastructure
Gemma Jerome | PhD Student | University of Liverpool| ESRC Studentship 2011-2015This work was supported by the Economic and Social Research Council [ES/J500094/1]
Contents Situating community-scale green
infrastructure/Identifying gaps in literature
Methodology: Mapping The Mersey Forest
Findings Defining the community-scale Identifying four distinct types
Conclusions
Situating green infrastructure Green infrastructure is ‘the network of natural and semi-
natural areas, features and green spaces in rural and urban areas, which together enhance ecosystem health and resilience, contribute to biodiversity conservation and benefit human populations through maintenance and enhancement of ecosystem services’ (Naumann et al, 2011: 14)
Ecosystem services are the benefits provided by ecosystems that contribute to making human life both possible and worth living… sometimes separated into ‘goods’ and ‘services’. (UK National Ecosystem Assessment, 2011)
Community-scale green infrastructure (CSGI) is ‘the network of natural and semi-natural areas, features and green spaces in rural and urban areas, providing ecosystem goods and services, which are managed and maintained principally by the work and investment of voluntary community groups’. These spaces are multi-functional in their output, and pluralistic in their membership and activities / outcomes.
However… current literature presupposes a picture of homogeneity at the community-scale, highlighting the contemporary focus of local food production, and diminishing established spaces whose focus is wider.
Therefore… this paper explores the nuances of CSGI within a predetermined geographical boundary, with the aim of re-establishing a picture of plurality and localised, adaptable approached to meeting ‘green infrastructure need’.
Methodology: Mapping The Mersey Forest
Findings Summary of characteristics:
Voluntary membership managed by volunteers
or set up to enable volunteers
Green infrastructure groups formal (constituted) informal (ad hoc)
Green infrastructure projects led by community sector
organisations Spatial focus (place-based
community) or activity focus (interest-based community)
Type – Formal Groups
Formal groups:•Formally constituted as a group (except Incredible Edible groups = ‘simple governance’)•Regular volunteer days/events•Spatial focus (one site)•Sample size – 100 approx.
Type - Formal Projects
Formal projects:•Supported / managed by community organisation •Initially organised around a theme, funding stream or set of needs relating to user groups •Short term / seasonal•Interest focus more common than site focus•Sample size – 100 approx.
Type – Informal Groups
Informal groups:•Ad hoc organisation•Campaigning nature/political in nature (changes in land use)•Site specific OR one-off activity e.g. street tree planting•Pluralist demographic •Often highlighted by awards ceremony or recognised in hindsight by formal initiative•Sophisticated use of social networks/social media• Population size – unknown
Conclusions The picture of homogeneity at the local,
‘community-scale’ lacks nuance Community-scale green infrastructure is
pluralistic in outcomes and membership There are three main types of CSGI; and
key differences include governance structure, and spatial or interest focus
An in depth case study approach would enable a richer discussion of the needs and capacities of each type to deliver and develop green infrastructure assets over time