On 8th February 2022 Birmingham City Council’s Cabinet approved the 25-year City of Nature Plan which brings together all the work of the Naturally Birmingham Project including the learning gained from partner organisations and communities and builds on the fantastic work happening in the city. Now we have a plan that we can work together to deliver. We know that allowing nature to recover in the city will benefit us all, find out how you can benefit and how you get involved.
Introduction
Over thirty years ago, at the Rio Summit in 1992, the world formally recognised how important the environment, biodiversity and sustainability were as a new framework for 21st century living. Over the same intervening 30 years Birmingham has undergone a significant transformation rebuilding its city centre and a vibrant economy.
Over the next 30 years Birmingham sees its future as a Bolder Greener City responding directly to the the twin threats of climate change and biodiversity loss . The Our Future City Plan (OFCP) 2040 ‘Shaping this City Together’ vision for central Birmingham https://www.birmingham.gov.uk/info/50273/our_future_city_plan_ofcp/2303/our_future_city_-_draft_central_birmingham_2040 introduced a new approach to strategy and plan making in the city based on a shared and inclusive vision. The Our Future City Plan also introduced a vision for Birmingham becoming a “city of nature”; the City of Nature Plan shows how this can be done not only for central Birmingham but for the whole city.
The plan looks at the next 25 years to ensure that this current young generation inherit a much improved, fairer, and greener city. A city that puts nature, people, and the planet at the heart of its decision-making and inclusive growth agenda. Actions will be delivered across 5 city themes; Fair, Healthy, Green, Valued and Involved, that embrace the circular economy and introduce new ways of working right across the council and its partners. By adopting this sustainable and inclusive approach the city is set to benefit enormously, as shown later in this document to the tune of £2.5 billion pound uplift in natural capital value across the city over the plan period of 25 years. The purpose of introducing this work is to present the true value of blue and green space to the city; literally making those invisible benefits, we can so easily take for granted, visible for all to see and start to appreciate.
Birmingham is rich in parks and other blue and green spaces, much of it inherited from our Victorian past. What this document provides is a reimagining of our future as a 21st
century green city, not looking backwards to our past but forward to the future. By 2047 Birmingham, once known as a city of 1000 trades will be known as a city of a 1000 green spaces. This approach will address climate change impacts, nature recovery and inequity of access to natural spaces.
You can download a copy of the full City of Nature Plan here:
For a text only version of the City of Nature plan please visit: https://www.birmingham.gov.uk/info/50273/our_future_city_plan_ofcp/2518/our_future_nature_city_plan
Delivering the City of Nature Plan
We hope this City of Nature Plan will change the way in which the whole city treats its natural environment and how it thinks about the future of its parks and green spaces. Opening up more equal access by ensuring all of its green spaces achieve the Birmingham Future Park Standard a way of assessing green spaces that is a direct response to the issue of environmental justice and eventually the Birmingham Future Standard for all green infrastructure.
Over the next 25 years we want to see Birmingham recognised as a City of Nature where its parks and green spaces are both sustainably managed and funded. The delivery of the plan will involve the whole council and its core third sector partners though a City of Nature Alliance; whilst at the same time reaching out to the citizens of Birmingham to facilitate significantly more involvement.
Really big Thank you!
We couldn’t have got this far without all the work of the FPA Team in Birmingham and all the partner organisations: Birmingham Open Spaces Forum, The Active Wellbeing Society, The Birmingham and Black Country Wildlife Trust, Witton Lodge Community Association, The Birmingham Children’s Trust, Birmingham Municipal Housing Trust and The Landscape Practice Group.
Thank you for the funding and support from The Heritage Lottery Fund and The National Trust FPA Team.
We would like to thank all the community groups who worked with us to collect the wonderful Earth Stories: https://earthstories.uk/ – Black Arts Forum, Stechford Village Neighbourhood Forum, Welsh House Farm Green Grafters (Special thank you for the beautiful picture of the future of parks at the top of the page), The Friends of Georges’ Park, Footsteps, Northfield Arts Forum, Queen Alexandra College, Over 50s Go Getters, Stirchley Snowflakes Festival, Norton Hall and Brownfield Road Allotment Garden Association as well as all those who have shared their earth stories via our blog page.
Thank you to all our Green Champions: https://naturallybirmingham.org/green-champions/ and everyone that has contributed to our conversations and consultations so far, including via Social Media.
Also big thanks to Reeves PR who did a superb job creating our videos and marketing materials. They have been proactive, friendly and efficient and very patient as this delivery framework has evolved over the past few months.
So many stories, ideas and just moments of brilliance from everyone who has helped get this together, there is still lots to do but People need parks and most definitely parks need people! So together we really can make Birmingham a City of Nature.
Naturally Birmingham Future Parks Project 