探花直播

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Creating a National Park for the West Midlands

Lead academic(s)

Professor Kathryn Moore, Professor of Landscape Architecture

Background to engagement activity

The idea for a West Midlands National Park (WMNP), first proposed by Kathryn Moore, Professor of Landscape Architecture at 探花直播, is to establish a new kind of national park designation for the region.

The birthplace of the industrial revolution, the West Midlands is home to a UNESCO Global Geopark, the biophilic city of 探花直播, a complex infrastructure of canals, rivers and streams, railway lines, motorways and roads, major agricultural areas and beautiful parks, squares and open spaces.

The WMNP, a strategic vision for transformation, encompasses the whole of the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) territory, stretching from the headwaters of the Tame in the Black Country to the Blythe and Tame Valley in the East, and all of its communities from Wolverhampton, Walsall, Sandwell and Dudley, to 探花直播, with Solihull and Coventry in the south. It contains a variety of features and proposals to make the region a greener, healthier place in which to live and work including patterns of parks and squares that are easy and pleasant to walk through giving access to nature, improved health and well-being. Potential new housing developments would make the most of the beauty of the region by opening up views, horizons, and skylines and creating green spaces in the towns and cities.

Engagement activity undertaken

In July 2020 the WMCA signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with 探花直播. This formalised the WMCA鈥檚 backing for the National Park, which is seen as听a key component of a post-COVID听green economic recovery. The park forms part of #WM2041,听the West Midlands鈥� zero-carbon Strategy, which was agreed by the WMCA board in June 2020.听

The memorandum,听the latest step in a fifteen-year programme of research,听paved听the way for听a听suite听of projects听being undertaken by the WMNP Lab, a think tank based at BCU.听Supported by听a听number of听political, commercial and academic bodies including UNESCO, IPOGEA, Landscape Institute听and听IFLA, key听decision makers are members of the WMNP Lab Advisory Group and the WMNP Foundation听-听the interface with local authorities in the region, chaired by Dame Fiona Reynolds.听The project has been developed through public and academic conferences, seminars and workshops,听a听TV programme, radio and newspapers interviews and numerous exhibitions.听As the听focus of MA design theses,听it has been听investigated by students on the MA Landscape Architecture course at BCU for听a number of听years.

Knowledge transferred

The development of a WMNP complements existing plans for听regional听growth, including the delivery of HS2, new transport infrastructure, 215,000 new homes, Coventry City of Culture 2021,听and the Commonwealth Games - all of which are set to bring significant economic gains to the region.听听

Andy Street, the Mayor of the West Midlands, said:听听

It reinforces听the commitment of the West Midlands towards key pieces of national Government policy听by:听听

  • Supporting regional ambitions to promote economic and environmental policies to mitigate climate change and deliver clean, green growth; and听听

  • Ensuring that environmental protection, nature, culture听and听natural听capital听are听positioned at the heart of the economic development through Clean Growth, transforming productivity and driving green innovation in the West Midlands Industrial Strategy.听

The听WMNP, its narrative,听new maps,听diagrams and exhibitions enable communities to see the West Midlands in a completely different way,听evoking听a sense of pride, confidence听and optimism.听

Evidence of impact

The WMNP is expected to deliver a range of social, economic and environmental benefits:

  • Community engagement in the development of the National Park concept will promote social cohesion and economic development, incorporating biodiversity, culture, ecology, spatial quality and identity;
  • Enhanced connection between existing green, grey and blue spaces, including a matrix of 1,000 new public squares and gardens, 1,000 miles of footpaths, cycle paths and 1,000 miles of improved rivers, streams and sustainable urban drainage, a new system of ring parks and long-distance footpaths and grand civic, public parks;
  • Quality of life and environment placed at the top of the political agenda and as a driver of spatial decision making; Increased quality of life, health and wellbeing and environment throughout the region impacts on regeneration, investment and tourism; with emphasis placed on access for less advantaged communities;
  • The WMNP changes perceptions of the region, by reimagining some of the most beautiful, forgotten areas in Britain for millions of people;
  • More resilient and thriving communities;
  • Enhanced global reputation for the region as the place to live and visit.

Dates of activity

2018 - ongoing

Links

/architecture-and-design/research/catid/projects/creating-a-national-park-for-the-west-midlands