New Green Infrastructure Action Plan aims to improve city’s outdoor spaces

A new Green Infrastructure Action Plan (GIAP) has been published by Redcliffe & Temple BID which outlines its approach to improving the city’s outdoor environment and gives details of a range of exciting projects to help make public spaces in Bristol more sustainable and accessible.

Redcliffe & Temple BID worked with experts in landscape architecture, Landsmith Associates to undergo a full analysis of the area of Redcliffe and Temple and its current green infrastructure. The thorough research identified potential environmental risk factors, its ecological make-up and how it is currently being used by people living, working and visiting the area.

As a result of the analysis, four key findings were highlighted, and these became focus areas for the GIAP and helped to shape the action plan. Key findings were:

• The area has a high flood risk due to its proximity to the harbour and hard landscape of car parks and roads.
• It has the lowest tree canopy cover in the city.
• Generally females do not use a city’s public spaces to the same extent as males.
• The area has a very high risk of heat vulnerability.

Using these four areas for improvement and following engagement with local stakeholders, Redcliffe & Temple BID’s GIAP was developed to address the potential challenges and consider how the BID, working in partnership with local businesses and the community, can drive the plan forwards towards a greener, cleaner and more sustainable Bristol for all.

The GIAP outlines future projects and the short, medium and long-term actions that will create quality green spaces and improve sustainability in the city across the next three years and beyond.

The GIAP’s short term focus is to promote nature within the areas of Redcliffe and Temple, creating a series of volunteering days and working with community groups to enhance the relationship between participants and nature, with activities like gardening, litter picking and volunteer sessions.

With a slightly longer lead time required, mid-term plans hope to install temporary street furniture and play equipment to the area, as well as creating a series of pop-up green spaces and other opportunities for everyone’s enjoyment of the city’s outdoor spaces. Redcliffe & Temple BID is also planning to collaborate with office building owners and local hospitality venues to create a BID community toilet map to help make the area and city more accessible.

In the long-term, a key ambition of Redcliffe & Temple BID is to work with Bristol City Council and other stakeholders to increase Bristol’s tree canopy by 25% by 2035 through identifying tree planting opportunities on public and private land and encouraging businesses to sponsor trees within the area. Longer term goals of the GIAP also include improvement of walking and cycling routes, greening installations such as living walls and street gardens, and creating fun, diverse and interesting spaces in the city for all to enjoy.

Tom Swithinbank, Sustainability Project Manager for Redcliffe & Temple BID said; “A desire to improve the outdoor environment in the area was identified as a key theme following the BID’s consultation prior to ballot. It has been fantastic to engage with a range of different stakeholders and hear feedback and ideas to improve the outdoor space in the BID area. We’ve been encouraging people to look at the area differently and see the potential of our outdoor spaces and we look forward to working through the priorities identified in the coming years.”

More information

Redcliffe & Temple BID’s Green Infrastructure Action Plan is available here.