1. Natural Capital – as the Essential Baseline for Growth in Cities
Birmingham City Council
Leader- leading global green city;
Planning- (2031)
150,000 population; 51,300 new homes;
Transforming the Engineering of Cities to deliver Societal and Planetary Wellbeing
Presentation:
Ecosystem Serviced City
New Frameworks
New Metrics
New Models
Biophilic City
Significant Findings
Municipal Planning
Municipal Finance
Municipal Governance
Liveable Cities 5 year research programme – global reach- to understand what makes a good city, how, and why:-
The global message – is that city’s need to better integrate their Planning, Finance and Governance- and adopt Systems Thinking;
Birmingham is serious about becoming a global green city
60% carbon reduction on 1990 levels- by 2028; currently 33% achieved;
Serious challenges with growth predictions:
Nick Grayson, Climate Change & Sustainability Manager,
Senior Research Fellow, University of Birmingham
Wales Green Infrastructure Forum October 2017

2. Ecological Services, urban nature and citizen health
Natural Capital – as the Essential Baseline for Growth in Cities
Ecological Services, urban nature and citizen health
Delivering an Ecosystem Serviced City
In Liveable Cities able to conduct a Thought Experiment- what would happen if the city’s number one priority was an eco-system serviced city?
How would that change thinking, mind-sets and priorities?
When you apply systems thinking mapping to that central idea- what connections and inter-dependencies are revealed- maybe for the first time?
Wales Green Infrastructure Forum October 2017

3. Natural Capital – as the Essential Baseline for Growth in Cities
“Part of the great pleasure of living in a city is discovering the many forms of nature in unexpected places. Some of this nature is designed, of course, but much of it is simply extant, and resiliently co-adapting to urban conditions…Over the course of a day there are typically numerous opportunities to be surprised (pleasantly) by the nature around us, as it appears and disappears from view (a bird, a mushroom, a flower), and appears again, dependig on season, weather, and on the pathways and routes we choose to travel. Discovery and surprise, the possibility of epiphanous moments of delight, are part of what makes living in a biophilic city so much fun.”
(Prof. Tim Beatley, 13 October 2014,
Biophilic city concept is drawn from the human response to nature;
Birmingham was invited to join the network- which has a generational aspiration- not a flag award scheme:
The mechanisms underpinning psychological/physiological responses to GBI have been evaluated through two competing yet linked analytical lenses:
Stress Reduction Theory (SRT) (Ulrich 1983), and;
Attention Restoration Theory (ART) (Kaplan and Kaplan, 1989; Kaplan, 1995).
Wales Green Infrastructure Forum October 2017

4. Natural Capital – as the Essential Baseline for Growth in Cities
Definition - the benefits provided by ecosystems that contribute to making human life both possible and worth living
Drawn from the Millennium Ecosystem assessment 2005; used in the UK for the UKNEA:
Birmingham then figured as a case study in the NEA Follow-On project:
The 2005 MEA had introduced the science of ecosystem services; the UK leads the global race through NEA and now 2014 NEAFO;
Birmingham lacked that local understanding of the implications of this new national and international science, so 1st UK city, same methodologies;
NOT BIODIVERSITY!!! Ecosystem Services- the benefits to people, to well being and the economy….totally new!!!
Emphasizes service production but the story is also about consumption….
Wales Green Infrastructure Forum October 2017

5. Natural Capital – as the Essential Baseline for Growth in Cities
President Trump- famous for many things!!
Perhaps most famous for his Executive Orders
My wish that every city leader in the world is given an executive order- for them to understand their city’s dependency on nature- through ecosystem services and natural capital.
Wales Green Infrastructure Forum October 2017

6. Natural Capital – as the Essential Baseline for Growth in Cities
2016
New global frameworks give clear guidance on how to structure change
Emphasising the importance of Planning, Governance and Finance;
The Ratchet Mechanism
2015
PLANNING FINANCE GOVERNANCE
Wales Green Infrastructure Forum October 2017

7. Introducing the New Urban Agenda
Natural Capital – as the Essential Baseline for Growth in Cities
Introducing the New Urban Agenda
20 YEAR PATTERN OF GLOBAL GROWTH
Farrell Review:
McKinsey paper 21st century growth and wealth creation:
Money left over!!!
Extracted from the short-term stock markets- looking for long-term assurance and climate proofing:
Climate Alliance represents $21 Trillion Dollars of global investment awaiting climate proofing
Wales Green Infrastructure Forum October 2017

8. Natural Capital – as the Essential Baseline for Growth in Cities
Natural Capital can be defined as the world's stocks of natural assets which include geology, soil, air, water and all living things. It is from this Natural Capital that humans derive a wide range of services, often called ecosystem services, which make human life possible. (Natural Capital Committee Third Report 2015)
IUCN 2016
Article 63
$ bn 1%
25 YEAR NATURAL CAPITAL PLAN
NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL SCALE
IUCN Article 63
WWF/ Credit Suisse Report:
Natural Capital Committee 4th report
NCC Advice to Government on 25 Year Environment Plan:
4 PILLARS OF THE 25 YEAR NATURAL CAPITAL PLAN-V1
Wales Green Infrastructure Forum October 2017

9. Natural Capital – as the Essential Baseline for Growth in Cities
Birmingham’s Green Living Spaces Plan:
Check out the appendices too
Biodiversity * Local Climate * Recreation
Education * Aesthetics & mobility * Flood risk
Wales Green Infrastructure Forum October 2017 9

10. Natural Capital – as the Essential Baseline for Growth in Cities
CITY SCALE
Excess Years Life Lost at LSOA
Birmingham –
a global first
Manchester?
GLA?
New York?
Biodiversity
Education
Recreation
Local Climate
Flood Risk
Aesthetic & mobility
Green Living spaces plan- comparison between Excess Years Life lost- and multiple challenge map
Wales Green Infrastructure Forum October 2017

11. Natural Capital – as the Essential Baseline for Growth in Cities
Net Positive for Natural Capital over a 25 year period, (273 ha)
Circa 6,000 homes
SITE SCALE
For more information on the Birmingham Natural Capital Planning Tool see:-
NCPT- NERC Gi Innovation award:
LC- NERC NATIONAL TRAIL-
University Of Birmingham Lead
Wales Green Infrastructure Forum October 2017 13

12. Natural Capital – as the Essential Baseline for Growth in Cities
High Speed 2 Environment & Landscape Workstream
To move from Zero Net Loss > Net Positive Natural Capital
Devising integrated new metrics- (Defra & NCC)
HS2 is 50% of Devo Deal for WMCA £4 Billion
Wales Green Infrastructure Forum October 2017

13. MAKING OUR MARK WITH NATURE AT OUR HEART
Natural Capital – as the Essential Baseline for Growth in Cities
MAKING OUR MARK WITH NATURE AT OUR HEART
A 25 YEAR NATURAL CAPITAL VISION FOR THE WEST MIDLANDS COMBINED AUTHORITY
West Midlands – all nature conservation groups, LNPs etc all agreed on a 25 year environment plan approach- if integrated with economic model;
UK Government approved Black Country Garden City
Wales Green Infrastructure Forum October 2017

14. Natural Capital – as the Essential Baseline for Growth in Cities
WMCA objectives
SDG’s 1
New Manufacturing economy 2
Creative & digital 3
Environmental technologies 4
Medical & Life Sciences
WMCA objectives
SDG’s 5
HS2 growth 6
Skills for growth & employment for all 7
Housing 8
Exploiting economic geography
WMCA
Dynamic Economic Impact Model (DEIM)
The Strategic Economic Plan for WMCA:-
8 Priorities all can be matched to the SGD’s.
World Business Council for Sustainable Development- leading the way on committing to the SDG’s- envisioning unlocking millions $:-
Natural Capital Coalition- UK based- working with Big Business to implement natural capital accounting and value capture through a single Protocol:-
And Sector Guides:-
PROTOCOL
Wales Green Infrastructure Forum October 2017

15. Natural Capital – as the Essential Baseline for Growth in Cities
TOTAL PLACE OUTCOME
WMCA
DEIM
Natural
Capital
Module
The WMCA has created through the University of Birmingham a Dynamic Economic Impact Model- to measure the economic impact of all 8 sectors.
Could this now include a natural capital module?
Could we prove the added value natural capital could bring?
Starting with HS2 which represents 50% of the Devo-Deal- of £4billion.
Could that in time be spread across each sector- working with each in turn?
Could this become a ‘sector guide’ for Cities? A globally recognised way of demonstrating and connecting economic growth- performing better when accounting for and investing in – Natural Capital?
An addition to the global Protocol?
PROTOCOL FOR CITIES
Wales Green Infrastructure Forum October 2017

16. Natural Capital – as the Essential Baseline for Growth in Cities
Star Framework
Growth Agenda
Governance Community of Practice
Growth & Investment Community of Practice
Planning & Housing Community of Practice
SUSTAINABILE
INCLUSIVE
CONNECTED
CITY
VIA JOINT METRICS
JOBS & SKILLS
HOUSING
‘Green Horizon’
Quality of Life Agenda
Not published work yet- Not to be published by others:-
Plans to re-evision Birmingham:-
Drawn from Liveable Cities research:
Health & Wellbeing Community of Practice
Ecology & Education Community of Practice
User & Service Delivery Community of Practice
HEALTH
CHILDREN
Total Place
Wales Green Infrastructure Forum October 2017

17. Natural Capital – as the Essential Baseline for Growth in Cities
NEW PROCUREMENT MENU
SITE
SCALE
Planning
Finance
Governance
NEIGHBOURHOOD SCALE
CITY
REGION SCALE
Who benefits?
What multiple values?
Sustainable finance?
A framework for approaching future procurement- mapped out utilising systems thinking
The overlay is for sustainable fishing in the gulf of Mexico as a worked example:
The term used is Causal Loop Diagram arrived at by systems thinking mapping:-
Governance models?
Wales Green Infrastructure Forum October 2017

18. Natural Capital – as the Essential Baseline for Growth in Cities
“Part of the great pleasure of living in a city is discovering the many forms of nature in unexpected places. Some of this nature is designed, of course, but much of it is simply extant, and resiliently co-adapting to urban conditions…Over the course of a day there are typically numerous opportunities to be surprised (pleasantly) by the nature around us, as it appears and disappears from view (a bird, a mushroom, a flower), and appears again, dependig on season, weather, and on the pathways and routes we choose to travel. Discovery and surprise, the possibility of epiphanous moments of delight, are part of what makes living in a biophilic city so much fun.”
(Prof. Tim Beatley, 13 October 2014,
Back to the Biophilic philosophy and ambition
Wales Green Infrastructure Forum October 2017

19. Birmingham: The UK’s First Biophilic City
- Cities that achieve a deep affinity with nature
Birmingham
San Fransisco
Vittoria- Gastiez
San Francisco
Wellington
Milwaukee
The group of initial Biophilic Cities
Others are joining around the world
See all resources available on the Network website:-
Rio de Janeiro
Milwaukee
Oslo
Perth
Birmingham
Montreal
Wales Green Infrastructure Forum October 2017

20. Natural Capital – as the Essential Baseline for Growth in Cities
Questions & Answers?
Nick Grayson, Climate Change & Sustainability Manager,
Different links used; and contact details:-
Wales Green Infrastructure Forum October 2017 17