Biurbs

Biurbs is co-led by a multi-disciplinary team of leading researchers from across the country collaborating with innovative architecture and green infrastructure practitioners to improve understanding of the economics of biodiversity as part of urban redevelopment. The research engages with key decision makers and stakeholders, to assess their experiences of evaluating biodiversity as part of urban redevelopment, and uses this to understand the challenges and opportunities in recognising and realising biodiversity in development and planning.  

The overarching objective is to improve the understanding of the economics of biodiversity within the built environment of the UK, and how urban developments can best be designed, managed and delivered to support biodiversity conservation and enhancement.

UEL is leading a Work Package evaluating spatial planning/valuation tools, to understand the synergistic role that biodiversity can play in meeting the competing demands of different policy objectives and land uses/users at different spatial scales. This work will help inform the development of practical, well-grounded tools and guidance for assessing the economic value of biodiversity for different land uses at different scales.  

Funded by: UKRI (NERC)

SRI theme: Blue/Green Infrastructure 

SRI role: Work package lead

Bumblebee Conservation  

Building from the  SRI’s research into the habitat and habitat management requirements of the two UK Biodiversity Action Plan bumblebee species the shrill carder bee (Bombus sylvarum) and brown-banded carder bee (Bombus humilis) in South Essex,  SRI researchers are working on two bumblebee conservation projects. One is in Thamesmead and one in Beckton. They are using ReWwilding London funding and community engagement approaches to create new habitats for these two rare species of bumblebee.

Funded by: Greater London Authority

SRI theme: Blue/Green Infrastructure (invertebrate conservation) and Sustainable Society

SRI role: Research lead

London Strategic SuDS Pilot Scheme

LSSPS is a collaborative programme to mainstream small-scale urban Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) across London.

The SRI is working with Thames 21 on a research programme to explore the barriers to mainstreaming SuDS and to develop evidence and processes to support others in addressing these barriers.

This includes exploring stakeholder experience and designing and implementing monitoring programmes for SuDS schemes implemented in inner and outer London boroughs through the LSSPS scheme.

Funder: Thames Water Ltd

SRI theme: Blue/Green Infrastructure (urban green infrastructure) and Sustainable Society

SRI role: Lead

The Pilot Project

In this project, funded as part of the Universities UK’s “twin for hope” initiative, the University of East London have twinned with Cherkasy State Technological University (ChSTU) to assess whether communities and civil groups could be trained in the use of drones to collect building damage data using small drones and whether the data collected could be assessed by volunteers across the world.

Learn more about the Pilot Project.

Funder: Universities UK

SRI theme: Sustainable Society

SRI role: Co-lead

Plantlife International's Munsary Peatlands Reserve

Following an initial extensive baseline review undertaken in 2002, the SRI has carried out two 7-year repeat cycles of a long-term monitoring programme at Plantlife International's Munsary Peatlands Reserve in Caithness, northern Scotland since its initial establishment. This represents one of the most detailed long-term monitoring programmes for a peatland site in the UK and is designed to pick up responses to restoration management and climate change.  It is now in its 21st year, with plans (delayed in 2023 due to Covid) to complete a third repeat in 2024. 

SRI theme: Blue/Green Infrastructure (peatland conservation)  
SRI role: Lead on-site monitoring

GGR peatland

This project, funded by UKRI, is showcasing techniques and technologies aimed at transforming deteriorated UK peatlands into reliable, long-term greenhouse gas removal (GGR) systems. It has created three GGR demonstration sites, each featuring customized interventions to suit local conditions, and rigorous environmental impact monitoring is in place. The project's objectives include quantifying the GGR advantages and exploring cutting-edge land management approaches.

The GGR-Peat project leverages natural processes to restore and, where feasible, enhance the environmental conditions conducive to peat formation. Concurrently, it aims to pioneer innovative strategies for accelerating CO2 absorption and ensuring its secure storage for centuries.

Our GGR Demonstrator project possesses the potential to revolutionise peatland research. It challenges the presumption that UK peatlands inevitably act as net greenhouse gas emitters except in pristine conditions. Instead, we suggest that through active, science-based management, even severely degraded peatlands can become net greenhouse gas sinks.

Our primary goal is to illustrate how we can convert the UK's largest terrestrial greenhouse gas emissions source, which is degraded peatlands, into one of the most efficient greenhouse gas removal (GGR) systems. Our approach involves testing a combination of 'nature-based' solutions like high water level management, high-yield wetland agriculture, and accelerated Sphagnum reestablishment, along with 'geoengineering' strategies including biochar production and application, the use of non-native biomass species, and the application of amendments to mitigate methane and nitrous oxide emissions.

The project is also designed to explore the trade-offs and co-benefits of peatland restoration and suitable mechanisms to regenerate peatlands in the most holistically sustainable way.

Funder: UKRI

SRI theme: Blue/Green infrastructure (peatland conservation)

SRI role: Work package lead

Peatland Progress

Peatland Progress: A New Vision for the Fens is a 5-year National Lottery Heritage Fund project bringing hope for wildlife, the climate, farming, and communities in the Cambridgeshire Fens. The project takes place at the Great Fen, where we are providing paludiculture advice and guidance, and designing a robust monitoring programme, for the delivery phase of the Peatland Progress Project. We will also be working on the monitoring programme over the next 5 years, supervising a PhD student on bio-based building materials and encouraging additional real-world research on-site.

Peatland Progress provides a rare opportunity to increase the connectivity between two separate peatland nature reserves. This will most importantly lead to enhanced long-term sustainability for both areas but also provide the space and funding to expand research into paludiculture beyond the initial trial plots that we have already undertaken at the Great Fen.

This is hugely exciting as paludiculture, as a nature-based solution, offers real ecosystem benefits through carbon emission reductions, biodiversity gain and water chemistry improvements. Paludiculture also opens opportunities to develop new products and markets in areas such as bio-based building materials, peat replacement and much more. Peatland Progress comes at the perfect time, as wet farming is in its infancy here in the UK, so the project will have a timely and positive impact.

Funder: National Lottery Heritage Fund

SRI theme: Blue/Green infrastructure (peatland conservation)

SRI role: Scientific advisors, paludiculture and materials science expertise.

Clean Air Gardens  

Domestic gardens are the most common type of greenspace in many cities, yet their value in enhancing the health of urban areas is often overlooked. In many cases, domestic gardens are being replaced by artificial surfaces or overlooked in new developments, and their contribution to local air quality and temperature regulation is undervalued. This project is investigating how domestic garden design can impact local air quality and temperature regulation and aims to increase the understanding of the value of domestic gardens for creating healthy, resilient cities.  

Funder: UKRI-funded RECLAIM Network Plus grant (EP/W034034/1)

SRI theme: Blue/Green infrastructure and air pollution

SRI role: Lead

Wild West End - Green Infrastructure audit

Wild West End – green infrastructure audit: the Wild West End is a unique partnership of nine of central London’s largest property holders, to create a network of connected green spaces and nature-based solutions that will support local biodiversity and deliver environmental, social and economic benefits for local communities, businesses and visitors.

The SRI’s ecologists carried out a green infrastructure audit of public and private parks and gardens, green roofs and green walls in the West End to evaluate their ecological and environmental value and provide knowledge transfer to key stakeholders to enhance the biodiversity value and ecosystem services delivery of their sites. Bird and pollinator surveys were also undertaken at a sample of sites, to monitor their relative performance for supporting these key groups. Deliverables included a technical report for the project partners, summarising the results of surveys in their property portfolios, along with detailed recommendations for enhancement measures. Knowledge transfer activities included a presentation to the partnership and a representative from the Greater London Authority on the audit findings, and a chance to discuss opportunities for best practice for the project.

Client: Arup in partnership with London Wildlife Trust

SRI theme: Blue/Green Infrastructure (urban green infrastructure)