keynote presentation to periurban parks interreg project 16 september aberdeen
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reluRural Economy andLand Use Programme
Wasting Space? Managing Environmental Change at the
Rural Urban Fringe
reluRural Economy andLand Use Programme
Alister ScottClaudia Carter, Mark Reed, Peter Larkham, Nicki Schiessel, Karen Leach, Nick Morton, Rachel Curzon David Jarvis, Andrew Hearle, Mark Middleton, Bob Forster, Keith Budden, Ruth Waters, David Collier, Chris Crean, Miriam Kennet, Richard Coles and Ben Stonyer
reluRural Economy andLand Use Programme
Plan 1. RUF in context 2. The RUF research
opportunity and response 3. Capturing viewpoints and
expertise – Visioning using a RUF transect – Research Team Workshops
4. Discussion: Towards realising new opportunity space for the RUF
Building interdisciplinarity across the rural domain
reluRural Economy andLand Use Programme
Unpacking jargon 1 Defining the rural urban fringe
• it is the ‘fuzzy’ and dynamic space where town and countryside uses, interests, ideas converge.
• Directly adjacent to town/city or in countryside where it is dominated by urban interests
Building interdisciplinarity across the rural domain
reluRural Economy andLand Use Programme
Multiple Faces of the Fringe • Innovative • Edgelands • Transitional • Fuzzy • Messy • Reactionary
• Ad-hoc • Diverse • Dynamic • Neglected • Valued• Contested
Building interdisciplinarity across the rural domain
reluRural Economy andLand Use Programme
Academics on the fringe • Dominant space of 20C
(Mckenzie, 1996)• Collection of dynamic and
productive environments (Spedding 2004)
• Misunderstood space (Gallent et al 2006)
• Fringe as a ‘weed’ (Cresswell 1997)
• Battleground for urban and rural uses (Hough, 1990)
• Landscape out of order (Qvistrom 2007)
Building interdisciplinarity across the rural domain
reluRural Economy andLand Use Programme
The RUF problem/opportunity • At the heart of current
planning furore in England (NPPF)
• Urban-centric space shaped by macro-economic drivers and planning policy
• Contested stakeholder views
• Environmental change agenda offers rethink
Building interdisciplinarity across the rural domain
reluRural Economy andLand Use Programme
Managing Environmental Change at the rural urban fringe
Building interdisciplinarity across the rural domain
reluRural Economy andLand Use Programme
The Team
• Dr Alister Scott PI• Dr Mark Reed CI• Prof Richard Coles CI• Dr Nick Morton CI• Dr Rachel Curzon CI• Claudia Carter CI• Nikki Schiessel CI
• Forest Research • David Collier NFU• David Jarvis DJA Consultants • Ruth Waters/Andrew Hearle Natural
England• Karen Leach/Chris Crean Localise
West Midlands• Miriam Kennet Green Economics
Institute • Keith Budden Birmingham
Environment Partnership • Bob Forster West Midlands Rural
Affairs Forum • Mark Middleton Worcestershire
County Council, WMRA
reluRural Economy andLand Use Programme
Managing Environmental Change at the rural urban fringe
Building interdisciplinarity across the rural domain
reluRural Economy andLand Use Programme
Unpacking jargon 2 Spatial Planning Framework
EUROCITIES (2004) The Pegasus files: a practical guide to integrated area-based urban planning EUROCITIES, Brussels
reluRural Economy andLand Use Programme
“Collective place shaping efforts aimed to improve the qualities and connectivities of places into the future for the benefit of present and future publics and their potential values”
Healey 2008: 3
reluRural Economy andLand Use Programme
Unpacking jargon 3 Ecosystem approach
"the Ecosystem Approach is a strategy for the integrated management of land, water and living resources that promotes conservation and sustainable use in an equitable way“
(Convention on Biological Diversity, COP 7 Decision VII/11)
beyond biodiversity beyond ‘environmental’ humans inherently part
of nature
reluRural Economy andLand Use Programme
• Ecosystem Approach: Respect for and being mindful of whole system
• Ecosystem Services: Anthropocentric; economic framing common
reluRural Economy andLand Use Programme
“The ecosystem approach may represent a paradigm shift. A fundamental change in the way we manage, value and pay for our natural environment. Implemented successfully, it will mainstream the environment across all decisions”
Head of Ecosystem Approach, Natural England (2010)
reluRural Economy andLand Use Programme
SP and EA Compatibilities New ways of thinking Holistic frameworks Cross-sectoral Multi-scalar Negotiating Enabling Long term perspective
Connectivity Governance Equity goals Regulatory Market-orientated
reluRural Economy andLand Use Programme
“… we must learn to apply an adaptive ecosystem approach to ecological planning. This will allow us to deal with the thorny issues of sustainability, itself taken complexly in regional and urban planning, in novel and ultimately more realistic ways.”
Vasishth 2008: 101
Vasishth, A. (2008) ‘A scale-hierarchic ecosystem approach to integrative ecological planning’, Progress in Planning 70: 99-132.
reluRural Economy andLand Use Programme
Converging, wicked problems
Building interdisciplinarity across the rural domain
reluRural Economy andLand Use Programme
Values
Protected/excluded space
recreation
health & wellbeing
barriers
accessibility, freedom to roam?
HOUSING = development
)
Transition spaceGREENSPACE – ‘natural’
low quality – lacks diversitybut good/safe for children to play?
views
Section 106: community provisions?
reluRural Economy andLand Use Programme
Time
Building interdisciplinarity across the rural domain
Agri environment payments
Green Belt policy
Village envelope
Multifunctionality : food, energy , recreation
reluRural Economy andLand Use Programme
Connectivity
Habitat network
Integrated transport system (public)
Streams & rivers
HOUSING (suit range of social, economic and cultural needs) – COMMUNITY development
With Birmingham?Worcester? Warwick?
Motorways & Big Roads: barrier for some wildlife species and pedestrians but connection for many people (e.g. car owners) – Small roads & Paths: vice versa
Green Infrastructure
Views to and from
Historical and cultural heritage
Permeable surfaces
Whose operating in this space: governance and power .
reluRural Economy andLand Use Programme
Methods
• Visioning
• Workshops
Building interdisciplinarity across the rural domain
reluRural Economy andLand Use Programme
• Hampton (Peterborough) 18th July 12 participants (5600 houses)
• Worcestershire 19th July 16 participants (landscape scale)
• To experience/assess the different ‘personalities’ within the RUF
• To share knowledge, experience and expertise looking at the RUF past, present and future
Field based Visioning exercises
Building interdisciplinarity across the rural domain
reluRural Economy andLand Use Programme
The RUF transect (Expert-led) • Idea of a transition and
gradient thru RUF• Environmental character areas • Data led (GIS) via
Worcestershire GIP• Transect maximised number
of environmental character areas
• 3 Area selected for exercise
Building interdisciplinarity across the rural domain
reluRural Economy andLand Use Programme
Worcester Transect
Building interdisciplinarity across the rural domain
Viewpoint 1 Viewpoint 2
Viewpoint 3
reluRural Economy andLand Use Programme
Workshops
• Used networks of the research team
• Developed by the network to address their key concerns/expertise
• Low tech interactive approach
• Discussions recorded • Further iteration through
report response Building interdisciplinarity across the
rural domain
reluRural Economy andLand Use Programme
Workshops 11/10-4/11 1. West Midlands Rural Affairs Forum Improving decision making for
the sustainable management of the rural-urban fringe; 25 participants
2. Green Economics Institute Long Termism/ Values in the Built Environment: Rural Urban Fringe & Land Use; 65 participants
3. Birmingham Environmental Partnership Bridging the rural urban divide through green economic opportunities; 88 participants
4. Localise West Midlands Meeting Local needs with local resources in the rural urban fringe; 15 participants
5. BCU Learning the lessons from Strategic planning: resurrecting institutional memories;14 participants
6. Forest Research Values and Decision making; 8 participants
reluRural Economy andLand Use Programme
Results: Visioning
Set within our themesFlavour only Emerging • Long Termism • Values and Decision
Making • Connectivity
Building interdisciplinarity across the rural domain
reluRural Economy andLand Use Programme
“Seems to be a local authority that has restricted itself by greenbelt designation in how we can develop and build” (Viewpoint 1)
“Look at environmental boundaries, (and) make them more fluid” (Viewpoint 1 (3))
“(Farming) and for the long term people are going to have to pay to keep that landscape looking as it is” (Viewpoint 2)
Long Termism 1
Building interdisciplinarity across the rural domain
reluRural Economy andLand Use Programme
“... whether to have more compact high density development versus more spread out development “(Viewpoint 1).
“..develop along our linear routes and have corridors of development reflecting a more sustainable finger approach (Viewpoint 3)
“look at recreational development using canal, countryside (prow) & M42” (Viewpoint 2)
“ ..This place had a personality when Longbridge was there, .(now) ambiguous...” (Viewpoint 3)
Long Termism 2
Building interdisciplinarity across the rural domain
reluRural Economy andLand Use Programme
“(Not Redditch per se) its more about looking towards Birmingham and (its) influence on North Worcestershire.” (Viewpoint1)
“lot of traffic (M42).. making use of the ruf around the city... Planning has provided connections to get people where they want to be (Viewpoint 2)
“The canal/footpaths used for leisure … so you got a lot things happening in the same space” (Viewpoint 2)
Connectivity 1
Building interdisciplinarity across the rural domain
reluRural Economy andLand Use Programme
“(That green space) owned by BVT and NT and …Cadbury it would have run together and coalesced with Bromsgrove and Redditch
“I like my green space with houses and life and people, all the trees” (Viewpoints 3 (1))
(Redditch) has been commuter land especially with train (cheapest area in Worcestershire to live)
“That’s Birmingham's water, comes 72 miles from Elan valley in Wales” (Viewpoint 3)
Connectivity 2
Building interdisciplinarity across the rural domain
reluRural Economy andLand Use Programme
“Redditch built to be accessible by public transport; hence prioritisation of bus routes /pedestrian underpasses” (Viewpoint 1)
“Why do you always need growth” (Viewpoint 2)“This is what the transition groups are setting up
across the UK..where farmers let strips of land for local food production” (Viewpoint 2)
“For me its sense of community. We help each other volunteering for the community” (Viewpoint 2)
Values 1
Building interdisciplinarity across the rural domain
reluRural Economy andLand Use Programme
“We have been here 18 years in that time we have seen not a lot of changes which is wonderful” (viewpoint 2)
“Wind, solar, methane as part of a new mix..for economic development” (viewpoint 2)
“reducing urban heat island by planting trees is going to become so much more important (Viewpoint 3)
Values 2
Building interdisciplinarity across the rural domain
reluRural Economy andLand Use Programme
Results : Workshops
Building interdisciplinarity across the rural domain
reluRural Economy andLand Use Programme
Key Messages: Time
• We lack planning visions • We rarely think or value
the long term • We ignore past lessons
and institutional memory
• Need to move beyond just spatial solutions and invest in skills
reluRural Economy andLand Use Programme
Key messages: Connectivity • We readily call for integration but rarely seem
able to deliver it• Identifying connections and interdependencies
based on needs of the RUF not other places/interests
• Need improved evidence unpacking ‘needs’ and ‘priorities’ to join up responses
• Need better partnerships but in response to clear problems and opportunities
reluRural Economy andLand Use Programme
Key Messages: Values
• Economic System(s) is fundamentally flawed
• Values need changing but inertia and power
• Need better ways to assess value to realise new opportunities
• Green Belt values is part of the RUF problem not the answer
reluRural Economy andLand Use Programme
• Challenge conventional planning policies green belts
• Avoid environmental, economic or social silos: work collaboratively across the divides
• Look back and learn and revisit in order to plan for the future
So what : key challenges
Building interdisciplinarity across the rural domain
Risk MappingContingency
Planning
Future Proofing
Key Partners
Climate Risk
Water
Green Infrastructure
Health & Well Being
Biodiversity
The LEP
Community
Resilience
Transport & Infrastructure
The 9 piece jigsaw – GIA Partnership
Opportunities 2
reluRural Economy andLand Use Programme
And finally ….
• Embedding – innovative ways of research and working: Research – Policy – Practice
• Interdisciplinary working with complexity requires experimentation and adaptation
• SP and EA not separate add-ons, but fundamental change required: mind-set – policies – institutions – governance – adaptive management
reluRural Economy andLand Use Programme
• http://www.bcu.ac.uk/research/-centres-of-excellence/centre-for-environment-and-society/projects/relu
• http://twitter.com/#!/reluruf
• Alister Scott [email protected]
Questions ?
Building interdisciplinarity across the rural domain