Keynote presentation to periurban parks interreg project 16 September Aberdeen

Wasting Space? Managing Environmental Change at the Rural Urban Fringe relu Rural Economy and Land Use Programme Alister Scott Claudia 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

Plan
RUF in context
The RUF research opportunity and response
Capturing viewpoints and expertise
Visioning using a RUF transect
Research Team Workshops
Discussion: Towards realising new opportunity space for the RUF
Building interdisciplinarity across the rural domain

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

Multiple Faces of the Fringe
Innovative
Edgelands
Transitional
Fuzzy
Messy
Reactionary
Ad-hoc
Diverse
Dynamic
Neglected
Valued
Contested

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)

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

Managing Environmental Change at the rural urban fringe Building interdisciplinarity across the rural domain

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

Managing Environmental Change at the rural urban fringe Building interdisciplinarity across the rural domain

Unpacking jargon 2 Spatial Planning Framework EUROCITIES (2004) The Pegasus files: a practical guide to integrated area-based urban planning EUROCITIES , Brussels

“ 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

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

Ecosystem Approach: Respect for and being mindful of whole system
Ecosystem Services: Anthropocentric; economic framing common

“ 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)

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

“… 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.

Converging, wicked problems Building interdisciplinarity across the rural domain

Values Protected/excluded space recreation health & wellbeing barriers accessibility, freedom to roam? HOUSING = development ) Transition space GREENSPACE – ‘natural’ low quality – lacks diversity but good/safe for children to play? views Section 106: community provisions?

Time Building interdisciplinarity across the rural domain Agri environment payments Green Belt policy Village envelope Multifunctionality : food, energy , recreation

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 .

Methods
Visioning
Workshops

Hampton (Peterborough) 18 th July 12 participants (5600 houses)
Worcestershire 19 th 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

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


Worcester Transect Building interdisciplinarity across the rural domain Viewpoint 1 Viewpoint 2 Viewpoint 3

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

Workshops 11/10-4/11
West Midlands Rural Affairs Forum Improving decision making for the sustainable management of the rural-urban fringe; 25 participants
Green Economics Institute Long Termism/ Values in the Built Environment: Rural Urban Fringe & Land Use; 65 participants
Birmingham Environmental Partnership Bridging the rural urban divide through green economic opportunities; 88 participants
Localise West Midlands Meeting L ocal needs with local resources in the rural urban fringe; 15 participants
BCU Learning the lessons from Strategic planning: resurrecting institutional memories;14 participants
Forest Research Values and Decision making; 8 participants

Results: Visioning
Set within our themes
Flavour only
Emerging
Long Termism
Values and Decision Making
Connectivity

“ 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

“ ... 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

“ (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

“ (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

“ 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

“ 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

Results : Workshops Building interdisciplinarity across the rural domain

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

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

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

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

Opportunities 1 Concept Plans

Opportunities 2 Risk Mapping Contingency Planning Future Proofing The 9 piece jigsaw – GIA Partnership Key Partners Climate Risk Water Green Infrastructure Health & Well Being Biodiversity The LEP Community Resilience Transport & Infrastructure

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

http://www.bcu.ac.uk/research/-centres-of-excellence/centre-for-environment-and-society/projects/relu
http://twitter.com/#!/reluruf
Alister Scott [email_address]
Questions ? Building interdisciplinarity across the rural domain

Keynote presentation to periurban parks interreg project 16 September Aberdeen

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