This document outlines design principles for trees in urban landscapes in Birmingham, UK. It discusses creating places where tree species can thrive and providing multiple benefits, selecting the right trees for their context, and harvesting a full range of ecosystem services. It also references partnerships needed to deliver green infrastructure, climate adaptation, health, biodiversity and economic goals through an integrated approach.

1. Trees in the Townscape – Design Principles
“Metanoia”
• Nick Grayson
• Climate Change &
Sustainability
Manager
• Birmingham City
Council
• September 26th 2012
TREES IN THE TOWNSCAPE – DESIGN – 4,5 & 6

2. Sustainability Forum – June 11th 2012
RESILIENT CITIES
"We the mayors and
governors of the world's
leading cities. ask you to
recognise that the future of
our globe will be won or lost
in the cities of the world."
Copenhagen Climate
Change communiqué,
December 2009
•BRE Guide
•Masdar
•Biomimicry 3.8
TREES IN THE TOWNSCAPE – DESIGN – 4,

3. Trees in the Townscape – Design Principles
4. Make Tree Friendly Places:
Create places where tree species can
thrive and deliver their full range of
benefits without causing harmful
nuisance.
5. Pick the Right Trees:
Select and use trees appropriate to
their context.
6. Seek Multiple Benefits:
Harvest the full range of benefits trees
can deliver as part of a local green
infrastructure system, focusing on key
local aspirations.
“We will put natural capital at the centre of economic thinking;
and at the heart of the way we measure economic progress.”
NATURAL CAPITAL COMMITTEE

4. BUCCANEER – Birmingham Urban Climate Change Adaptation
Neighborhood Estimates of Environmental Risk
TREES IN THE TOWNSCAPE – DESIGN – 4,

5. Trees in the Townscape – Design Principles
Birmingham’s Green Commission
Carbon Road Map
Birmingham’s Energy Strategy 2050
•CO2 Reduction target of 60%; DECC
review as Low Carbon Pioneer City
•Birmingham Energy Savers £1.5bn
investment retrofit Green Deal programme
Energy Map for Birmingham •District Generation with Heat networks
& Transport
•Central Government – greening the grid
targets
•Sustainable Development Policy
•– SUNN, Joseph Rowntree Foundation
2012
TREES IN THE TOWNSCAPE – DESIGN – 4,

6. Trees in the Townscape – Public Health
Lancet July 2012
TREES IN THE TOWNSCAPE – DESIGN – 4,

7. Trees in the Townscape – Right Tree, Right Place
SOILS:
•Tree Nursery - ‘Dunneman
Seedbed’;
•Earth – 80% of global biomass;
only 10% spp catalogued;
•France – last ten years = yield
drops – 30 year period organic
content 4% to 1.5%; (INRA,
2,200 soil sample locations);
•Woodland soil- one handful:-
•10 billion bacteria;
•1 million yeasts;
•200,000 fungi;
•10,000 protazoas
Wellcome Image Awards 2012
TREES IN THE TOWNSCAPE – DESIGN – 5,

8. Trees in the Townscape – Right Tree, Right Place
Two experimental ‘eco-
scrapers’
To house as many trees
as people!
One ha of woodland per
tower, over 27 floors;
700 trees, 5,000 shrubs,
11,000 plants;
at 5% extra construction
costs.
Produce oxygen, filter
dust, dampen noise,
improving health & well
being.
Stefano Boeri Architetti
“Bosco Verticale” - Milan.
TREES IN THE TOWNSCAPE – DESIGN – 5,

9. Appendix 2. – Constituency Concept Plans
Trees in the Townscape – Right Tree, Right Place
Values Issues Solutions
Integrated District Plans
TREES IN THE TOWNSCAPE – DESIGN – 5,

10. Principle Output & Policy
Plan for effects of the Urban Heat Island
An Adapted City •Green roofs & walls
•Street Canyons Research
•Trees for cooling & thermal insulation
Develop a Blue Corridor &’Green Streets’ Policy
The City’s Blue
•Enhance and the wider Blue network.
Network •SuDS & flood & water management
•Enhance water quality & riparian habitat
Adopt Natural Health Improvement Zones (NHIZ)
A Healthy City •Introduce sustainable land management principles.
•‘Be Active’ neighbourhoods
•Childhood development
The City’s Endorse the Birmingham Forest & Tree Bond
Productive •Promote allotments
Landscapes •Facilitate community food growing, orchards, and woodlands
•Embed biomass production
Adopt A Walkable City
The City’s •Greenway networks
Greenways •“Quiet Roads”
•Permissive access rights
Develop an Ecosystem City Model
The City’s
•Ecosystem Evaluation of Birmingham’s GI and Trees
Ecosystem •Explore new funding mechanisms & joint partnerships
•Biodiversity mapping
Adopt Integrated Area Plans
The City’s Green
•Protection of natural & built heritage
Living Spaces •Integrate public health concerns
•Sustainable tree planting policy

11. Trees in the Townscape – Right Tree, Right Place
Birmingham Your Green and Birmingham’s Health Birmingham’s
Development Plan Healthy City (SPD) & Well Being Green Living
2013 2013 Strategy Spaces Plan
2013 2012
Embraces the Sustainable Social determinants Embeds 7 Key
Birmingham Forest Development Policy of health; Principles
Mitigation against
climate change
Same District Plans Same District Plans Same District Plans Same District Plans
TREES IN THE TOWNSCAPE – DESIGN – 5,

12. Trees in the Townscape – Seek Multiple Benefits
Key Partners
The 9 piece
jigsaw – GIA Climate Risk
Partnership
EVIDENCE Water
Green Infrastructure
POLICY Health & Well Being
Biodiversity
The LEP & Business
DELIVERY Community + Resilience
Planning
Transport & Infrastructure
TREES IN THE TOWNSCAPE – DESIGN – 6

13. Trees in the Townscape – Seek Multiple Benefits
Green Infrastructure & Adaptation Delivery Group, CIL Work Plan
TREES IN THE TOWNSCAPE – DESIGN – 6

14. Trees in the Townscape – Seek Multiple Benefits
City’s Productive Landscapes – Principle 4
Birmingham Forest Birmingham Tree Bond Food – SMART-City
TREES IN THE TOWNSCAPE – DESIGN – 6

15. Trees in the Townscape – Seek Multiple Benefits
Natural Health Improvement Zones – Principle 3
•Liveable Cities Trial – 2012-13, (in HPA Strategy for Birmingham 2011-15)
1952 smog London
= 4,075 excess deaths
–Clean Air Act;
(COMEAP’s 2008 Report ) NATURAL HEALTH
IMPROVEMENT
4,267 predicted deaths, ZONES
PM10’s & 2.5’s
TREES IN THE TOWNSCAPE – DESIGN – 6

16. Trees in the Townscape – Seek Multiple Benefits
Public Ecosystem City
Sector
Model
Birmingham as National
Pilot:
•Build a new city economy
•Green Bridge Economy Private
Programme Sector
•BCSD-UK & WBCSD-
CEV Tool
•TEEB-Eu
“We will put natural capital at the centre of economic thinking;
and at the heart of the way we measure economic progress.”
NATURAL CAPITAL COMMITTEE