Naturally Birmingham

Naturally Birmingham is a cross-council – transformation-strategic project, testing new approaches. Essentially it tests a new governance model for public parks and urban greenspace. This new model is drawn from new measures and new values. The project is for 2 years as a national exemplar for other cities. It seeks to identify the hidden beneficiaries of urban green space and connect those with the key strategic outcomes sought by Birmingham- to address its 21^st century challenges. The project will demonstrate the natural environment has a key role in addressing global and local challenges. In so doing it provides a very valuable physical asset to the city.

This asset is therefore not just there to be maintained- at a cost; but must seen- going forward as a key strategic asset worthy of protection, enhancement and investment.

The project is so structured to operate two parallel but inter-dependent elements of work. A comprehensive strategic assessment across the city and its services and four local neighbourhood pilots where new delivery methods and approaches can embrace and support local citizen engagement. This will then inform totally new policy and budgetary arrangements to provide a sustainable future for urban green space; based on a new comprehensive understanding of value.

For more info about the project visit:

- https://bosf.org.uk/projects/naturally-birmingham-future-parks-accelerator-project/

- https://www.birmingham.gov.uk/news/article/431/birmingham_wins_share_of_multi-million_pound_parks_fund