Green Infrastructure Toolkit

8/3/2019 Green Infrastructure Toolkit

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With thanks to AMION Consulting whoproduced this research on behalf ofemda

For further information on the GreenInfrastructure Study contact

East Midlands Development Agency (emda)Apex CourtCity LinkNottinghamNG2 4LA

Telephone: 0115 947 1747Fax: 0115 853 3666Email: [email protected]: www.emda.org.uk

a guide and toolkit

green infrastructureplaying an important role in achieving

sustainable economic growth and creatingattractive communities where peoplewant to live.

www.emda.org.uk


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Recent research carried out on behalf ofEast Midlands Development Agency (emda)Green Infrastructure Programme(AMION Consulting, 2008) has highlightedthat green infrastructure (gi) projects are

becoming more and more important inregenerating areas, reviving communities,and attracting investment. Ranging fromparks and public gardens to agriculturalland, these developments can bring keyeconomic benefits, such as increasedproperty values and job creation and

retention, as well as boosting tourismand visitor spend.

A guide and toolkit 02/03Your guide to green infrastructure

IntroductionYour guide to green

infrastructure projects

CreditsSteve Baker Photography,Experian Limited, Green Imaging,Dick Makin Imaging, R A DaveyPhotography, Simon Bolton,Conkers, Richard Arkwright,Martine Hamilton Knight,Alan Fletcher & Image Factory.

Contents

Your guide to green infrastructure projects 03

Who is it for? What is it for? How to use it? 07

What is green infrastructure 08

Types of green infrastructure 08

The role of green infrastructure 09

Benefits of green infrastructure 10

Rationale for intervention 17

Beneficiaries of green infrastructure 18

Evaluation framework for existing projects 20

Approach to evaluation 22

Research methods 23

Evaluation analyses 24

Logic chains 25

Relevance 28

Outputs, outcomes and impacts 29

Gross to net additionality 29

Strategic added value 30

Distributional analysis 30

Value for money 31Reappraisal of the business case 32

Sustainability 32

Lessons learned 33

Reporting arrangements 34

Assessment framework for future projects 36

Initial assessment checklist 37

Full assessment checklist 38Identifying investment priorities 40

Conclusion 41


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0504 A guide and toolkitA guide and toolkitYour guide to green infrastructure Your guide to green infrastructure

This handbook is designed to give yousupport and guidance in yourgiprojects.It explains the rationale for investmentingiand offers an evaluation andassessment framework to help youwith decision making.

All partners across the region can usethe frameworks to provide consistencyand to assist in the development,delivery, monitoring and evaluation

ofgiprojects.


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Who is it for?This handbook is produced forthe benefit and use of localauthorities, sub-regional partners,commercial businesses and otherpartners across the East Midlands

who are involved in bringing forwardgiprojects.

The assessment framework will assistpartners in identifying potentialgiprojectswhile the evaluation framework will assistpartners in evaluating the economic, socialand environmental outcomes and outputsof existinggiprojects.

Together, the assessment and evaluationframeworks will assist investors in pullingtogether and making applications for fundingand then delivering successful schemes.Project teams can use the information toprovide guidance and consistency ofapproach in the development, delivery,monitoring and evaluation ofgiprojects.

What is it for?This handbook provides an essentialreference source for teams deliveringgiprojects and in understanding andcapturing the economic benefits.

The handbook will assist in justifying andassessing investment in projects that arecentred on or include elements ofgi.Using the handbook will assist applicationand approval of funds by providing theeconomic justification.

How to use it?This handbook provides a resource

for research and towards makinga formal application for funding aswell as a checklist for developinggiprojects.

It can be used in a flexible manner or appliedmore rigidly as a working tool for managingthe project to a successful completion. Thehandbook will also be of significant use to

organisations attempting to meet the prioritiesof the Regional Economic Strategy anddelivering its objectives.


Who is it for?What is it for?

How to use it?


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What is greeninfrastructure?

The role ofgreen infrastructure

giplays an important role inachieving sustainable economicgrowth, creating attractivecommunities where peoplewant to live, work and visit.

It also has the potential to contribute to theaims and objectives of a number of differentnational and regional strategies.

Types of greeninfrastructure

A network of multi-functionalgreenspace provided across theregiongiconsists of the corenetwork of protected sites,assets and ecological functionallandscapes and linkages.

The open environment withinurban areas, the urban fringe andthe countryside. It is a networkof connected, high quality,multi-functional open spaces,corridors and the link in betweenthat provide multiple benefits for

people and wildlife everywhere.

giincludes both public andprivate assets and ranges frominner urban areas to remoterural parts of the East Midlands.Its function depends on its scale,form and location, with many

elements having multi-functionalpurposes.

For example, in an urban setting its role maybe to complement the built environmentand/or stimulate economic activity, while in arural location it may be more closely linked toenvironmental concerns, such as biodiversity.

Functional category

Environmental

Economic

Social

Multi-functionality

Functional analyses

Flood amelioration Air quality amelioration Biodiversity Renewable energy

Food production Labour productivity (recreation benefits) Labour productivity (visual benefit) Image and investment Contribution to regeneration Contribution to tourism

Recreation and amenity Access to accessible natural greenspace Health Education Cultural heritage

Potential multi-functionality derivedfrom greenspace location and physicalcharacteristics

Potential for additional functions throughphysical intervention

gifunctions

Parks and public gardens Moorland General amenity space Agricultural land Outdoor sports facilities

(incorporating hard surfacesand school playing fields)

Allotments, communitygardens and urban farms

Woodland Cemeteries, churchyards

and burial grounds Water courses Derelict land Grassland and heathland Private gardens Coastal habitat


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There are numerous benefitsassociated withgi. These aresummarised in the diagrambelow and explained in moredetail over the next few pages.

Benefits of greeninfrastructure

Economic benefits

Green spaces play an importantrole in stimulating economic growthand attracting inward investment.They can lead to higher propertyprices, improved labour productivity,increased tourism and visitor

activity, each of which is discussedin turn below.

Economic growth and investmentInvestment ingican draw in greaterlevels of investment and improve theeconomic performance of thelocal economy.

For example, the green developmentof Riverside Park Industrial Estate inMiddlesbrough levered over 1 millionof private sector investment, creatinglocal employment opportunities andfurther scope for business growth.1

Property and land valuesThere is a positive relationshipbetween proximity to greenspaceand property prices.

An uplift in property and land prices can

be seen as an indication of the overall valuelocal residents attach to being located closetogi. It is also a direct benefit in itself toproperty and landowners.

Environmental Biodiversity and habitat Flood alleviation Climate change Land remediation

Social Health and well-being Recreation and amenity value Community development Educational resource

Economic Economic growth and investment Property and land values Labour productivity Tourism

1 CLES & Groundwork (2007) The Contribution of the LocalEnvironment to the Local Economy

Benefitsofgi


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Community developmentgican contribute to various aspectsof community development. Thedevelopment and enhancementofgican improve civic pride andplace vitality.

It can also provide opportunities for socialinteraction, helping to increase communitycohesion and social inclusion. Investment ingican also help to improve community safety.

Educational resourcegioffers a range of both educationalopportunities to all age groups,such as the use of greenspaces fororganised activities, the richnessand experience offered by the

existence of parks in urban areasand educational benefits associatedwith the greening of school grounds.

Areas with trees and grass offer betterplay opportunities for children and leadto significantly higher levels of creativeplay, whilst young children playing innatural environments have been found

to have more advanced coordination andbalance than children constrained toa traditional playground.

Social benefitscontinued

Environmental benefits

The development ofgican lead to anumber of environmental benefits,such as the provision of new wildlifehabitat, helping to enhancebiodiversity, along with floodalleviation and water management.

It can also play an important role in climatechange mitigation and adaptation as wellas in land remediation. Each of thesebenefits is discussed below.

Biodiversity and habitatGreenspaces provide habitat for awide variety of species. Investment

ingiis a key component of reversinghabitat fragmentation and increasingbiodiversity to restore functioningecosystems.

Furthermore, in supporting ecosystems,a wider range of species will inhabit urbanareas with consequential benefits for localcommunities in terms of providing access

to natural green spaces.

Flood alleviation andwater managementIn light of recent floods experiencedin the UK, as well as the climatechange agenda, the economic impactof flooding is now a central concern

of social, environmental andeconomic policy.

Open space within river valleys have aneconomic role in flood alleviation. Retentionof flood plains as greenspace can reducerequirements for engineered flood defencefurther down river and as such constitutea significant economic saving.


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16 A guide and toolkitYour guide to green infrastructure

Climate change mitigationand adaptationEffectively implementedgicanprovide a significant carbon sink.

For instance, plants and trees absorb

greenhouse gases, including carbondioxide from the local atmosphere.gicanalso lower temperatures locally, reduceenergy consumption and reduce humidityand temperature within urban locations.The sheltering impact of a belt of urbanwoodland can also cut energy costs by 10%.

Land remediationThe urban renewal agenda hasfocussed development within townand city centres, prioritising theredevelopment of brownfield sites.

Whilst there remains an extensive brownfieldresource within the East Midlands region,a significant proportion of these sites sufferfrom contamination resulting from a legacyof industrial use, waste disposal and mineralextraction. Evidence suggests that conversionof contaminated land togi, and particularlytree planting, represents an effective landremediation strategy.

Environmental benefitscontinued

17A guide and toolkit Your guide to green infrastructure

Rationale for intervention

In the case of environmentalprojects the rationale forpublic sector intervention isoften based upon the correctionof a market failure and theenhancement of the qualityof life of specific groups.


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The following sets out the mainbeneficiaries from investmentingiand the value they can obtainthrough the development andenhancement of green spaces.

BeneficiaryLocal community

Value Better quality of life and improved

mental health Greater social inclusivity and

a more accessible environment Higher levels of civic pride Increased property prices Reduced pollution Better security and less crime Improved access to amenity

greenspace for leisure activities

BeneficiaryLocal business

Value

Image quality attributable togioffersprestige to local businesses Greater numbers to participate in leisure

and recreation activities, with potentialeconomic benefits for adjacent businesses

Improved staff retention and recruitmentof skilled employees

BeneficiaryUser groups

Value Improved access to quality greenspaces for

leisure and recreation groups Health benefits to users from improved

access to cycling and walking opportunities Increased amenity value from the provision

of higher quality, attractive green spaces

BeneficiaryLocal authority

Value Improved area image and increased

regenerative potential Potential to reduce public expenditure

on crime prevention, management ofurban spaces and health issuesassociated with inactivity

Increased economic viability ofadjacent sites

Increased local tax revenue due tohigherproperty values

BeneficiaryInvestors and developers

Value Increased likelihood of a return, offering

lower risk and greater security The asset, once developed, has greater

value in locations adjacent to green spaces,enabling the stakeholder to borrow moreon the value of the asset

Reduced heating and air conditioning costsin some instances due to the shelteringeffects of vegetation

Improved development image and higherquality of tenants

Beneficiaries of greeninfrastructure


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Evaluation framework for existing projects

The next section sets out an evaluationframework which can be used to assessthe economic, social and environmentalimpacts of existinggiprojects.


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Figure 4.3: Overview of

key evaluation issues

An outline logic chain

Within any evaluation exercisea number of key issues will needto be addressed and analysed.

For example, the effects of a project canbe wide ranging and the rationale andjustification for support will vary depending

upon the type of activity under consideration.

Figure 4.3 sets out an overview of theprincipal issues that will need to be assessedin relation to investment ingiand thelinkages between the different componentsof the proposed evaluation framework.

In order to take account of these various

issues a range of integrated evaluationanalyses should be undertaken. Each ofthese is summarised in turn below togetherwith examples of some of the key questionsthat will need to be answered.

Evaluation analyses Logic chains

These are an essential element ofthe approach to assessing projectsand programmes.

In particular, the development of logicchains can serve as a useful frameworkfor assessing:

The connections between inputs, activities,outputs, outcomes and impacts

The rationale for the intervention(s)by consideration of its or their context

The interventions design

Detailed logic chains should be developedas part of the evaluation. An exemplarlogic chain has been produced for thethree main impact areas associated withgi(economic, social and environmental) asshown within Table 4.2. This draws out thegeneral issues related togiactivities.

(Please see next page for Table 4.2)

Context/needs

Policy/objectives

Design ofintervention

Input/cost Activity

Outputs

Outcomes

Impact

Additionalbenefits

Economy

Strategic added value

Effectiveness

Efficiency

Sustainability

Relevance

Cost benefit analysis

Contextualconditions

Impact

Outcomes

Outputs

Activity

Inputs

Design ofintervention

Policy


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Table 4.2: Generic logic chain gi


Policy area Economic Social Environmental

Contextual conditions Contaminated land and waterways Poor quality public realm Lack of open space

Policy context Regional Economic Strategy Regional Spatial Strategy Local planning policies

Design of intervention Intervention design to address market failure or equity issues Qualifications CO2 emissionsobjectives and targets Master planning or growth area assessment Employment rate Waste production

Specific economic, social and environmental objectives, Deprivation Recycling ratesincluding potentially:

Improving productivity and growing the market Promoting conditions for sustainable growth Increased biodiversity Enhanced activity and health benefitsGVA growthJob creation Firm formation

Inputs

Land resources public and private assetsHuman resources public and private skills and time Financial resources public and private capital and revenue International resources ideas and endeavour

Activities Realise economic potential ofgi Health and well-being Better use of natural environment Enterprise development Responses to population change New use for brownfield land Regional competitiveness Culture and image Sustainable agriculture Sustainable production Community cohesion Sustainable energy strategyMixed-use development Skills, qualifications and education Protection of the countryside

Place making

Outputs Jobs created and jobs in priority sectors Increased physical activity rates Brownfield land reclaimed/ developed Increase in visitor numbers Increase in educational attainment Public realm developed/enhanced Businesses assisted Increase in community usage Biodiversity/habitat protected

Outcomes Enhanced GVA growth Increased health and well-being Reduced CO2 emissions Increased employment rates Reduction in deprivation levels Increased access to environment Improved business performance Increased community cohesion Reduction in insurance premiums

Impacts A dynamic, sustainable, international, economyconsistent with: Increased GVA per capita Sustainable consumption and production Climate change and energyNational resource protection and environmental enhancement Sustainable communities


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Value for money (VFM)VFM is defined as being determinedby the relationship between totalcosts (the resources a project usesup) and total benefits (including, inparticular, the outputs and outcomes

it is anticipated to achieve) for aproject to offer VFM its benefitsmust exceed its costs.6

Strategic added valueThis involves consideration of thenature and scope of strategic added

value (SAV) achieved by the projector programme and how this hascontributed to the achievement of

wider policy objectives.SAV can be achieved in a number of ways through, for example, provision ofstrategic direction, exertion of influence,the provision of intelligence andengagement activities.

Key evaluation questions that will needto be answered in terms of strategicadded value are:

How effectively has the project orprogramme influenced the activitiesof other partners?

Is the project or programme addingvalue or filling gaps in activities?

To what extent have other agencieschanged their practices to accommodategiobjectives?

Key evaluation questions that will needto be answered in terms of distributionalanalysis are:

To what extent has the project or

programme contributed to theachievement of equity objectives? Are the needs of marginalised

communities being addressed by theproject or programme?

Are existing environmental problemareas being addressed by the projector programme?

Key evaluation questions that will needto be answered in terms of value formoney are:

Do the total benefits of the project orprogramme exceed the total costs?

Are the costs the minimum necessary

given the nature and quality of theproject or programme?

Are the aims and objectives of theproject or programme being achieved?

Are the ratios of public sector costs tooutputs reasonable compared withbenchmarks?

Distributional analysisA key evaluation issue concernsthe distribution of benefits thathave been generated bygiprojects.The extent to which factors such asresource allocations, partnershipworking arrangements and thedesign, delivery, targeting andmarketing of services are contributingto the achievement of equityobjectives will be an importantcomponent of the evaluation.

6OFFPAT (2008) VFM Project Advice Note


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Reappraisal of the business caseThe actual results of the projector programme need to be comparedwith the expected outturns atappraisal. This will involve acomparison of actual and anticipated

costs, benefits, value for moneyand programme. In addition, anassessment should be undertakenof the risk that did or did notmaterialise.

SustainabilityIt will be important to assess theextent to which an individual project

or overallgiprogramme has made alasting change in conditions and,more generally, whether they haveresulted in sustainable development.

Lessons learnedA critical component of anyevaluation is to identify the lessonslearned and to ensure that these arefed back into the decision-makingprocess. Consequently, careful

consideration will need to be givento what the results mean for futuremanagement and policy decisionsand to ensuring that these issues arewidely disseminated.

Key evaluation questions that will needto be answered in terms of reappraisal ofthe business case are:

How did actual costs compare withthose expected at appraisal? What werethe reasons for any variation? How did

actual outputs, outcomes and impactscompare with those expected atappraisal? What were the reasons forany variation?

How did actual value for moneycompare with that expected atappraisal? What were the reasons forany variation?

What risks did and did not materialise?

Key evaluation questions that will need tobe answered in terms of sustainability are:

Are the improvements achieved bythe project or programme likely to besustainable in the short and thelonger term?

Will the project or programme becomefinancially self-sustaining?

Is the project or programme addressingthe underlying causes of the problems itis seeking to address and the objectivesset out in the application?

Key evaluation questions that will needto be answered in terms of lessonslearned are:

To what extent have new effectiveapproaches been developed throughthe implementation of the project or

programme? To what extent have best practice

lessons been identified and transferredfollowing the implementation of theproject or programme?

What were the main lessons learned?

A id d t lkitA id d t lkitY id t i f t t Y id t i f t t


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The reporting arrangementsfor the evaluation ofgiprojectsand programmes shouldcomprise three main stages.

1.An initial inception report should firstbe produced, in line with the evaluationframework described above and shouldinclude the following information:

Project name Description and key activities

(including progress to date) Aims and objectives Rationale for Agency investment Target geographical area or beneficiaries

Key milestones or timetable Costs, income and funding Gross expenditure by source Receipts Net expenditure by source Project outputs, outcomes and impacts Key risk factors and mitigation Further comments

2. For projects that have not yet deliveredsignificant outputs, an interim evaluationreport should be produced.

This is likely to be after the second or thirdyear of a project or programme and shouldfocus on process issues and administrative

efficiency, but also include an analysis ofindividual project performance and theaggregate effects of the programme as awhole. It should also consider the expectedoutputs and outcomes.

3.At the end of a project or programmeslifetime a final evaluation report shouldbe produced.

This should include an analysis of the fullcosts, benefits and value for money ofeach project or programme, as well asthe role of the Agency in achieving anyimprovements and the key lessons thathave been learnt.

Reportingarrangements




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The next section sets out anassessment framework whichcan be used to identify andassess the potential of futuregiprojects.

Assessment frameworkfor future projects

Assessing the impactof green infrastructure

projectsAs the benefits ofgiare potentiallywide ranging and include a numberof effects that are difficult to quantify,calculating the overall potentialimpact of agiproject can be acomplex process.

Therefore it is recommended thatgiprojectsat concept stage are first assessed on thebasis of the checklist outlined in the tableopposite.

Impact criteria Assessment of impact Comments

Economic value

Economic growthand investment

Property and land values

Labour productivity

Tourism

Social value

Health and well-being

Recreational andamenity value

Community development

Educational resource

Environmental value

Biodiversity and habitat

Flood alleviation andwater management

Climate change mitigation

Land restoration

= negative impact+ = positive impact0 = neutral impact

? = gaps in evidence

Initial Assessment Checklist


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44 ggg g g g

An additional component toassessing the impact of potentialfuturegiprojects will need to involveidentifying where organisationsshould prioritise their investment.

Projects will, therefore, need to be assessedin terms of the form of benefits that they areexpected to generate.

Once short-listed projects have been fullyassessed, using the previous framework,investment decisions can be made on the

basis of the outputs, outcomes and impacts,monetary values and scores attributed toeach impact criterion.

Identifyinginvestment priorities

Conclusion

gihas significant potential economicvalue, as well as bringing a host ofother social and environmentalbenefits to an area. These benefitsinclude:

An increase of up to 34% in propertyvalues can be obtained for propertiesfacing a park.7gican also increase theoccupancy levels of a development.

Research in the south west found that35% of relocating companies quotedenvironmental attractiveness as a keyreason for the move. In the West Midlands,33% of investors in the region consideredthe attractiveness of the region to be animportant factor in location decisions.8

There is also evidence thatgican help toincrease labour productivity.

High-qualitygican help to attract visitorsand boost the tourism sector.

gican also result in improved health andwell being; recreational and amenity value,community development and educationalbenefits.

Investment ingican result in increasedbiodiversity and habitat, flood alleviationand water management, climate change

mitigation, and land remediation. A range of different stakeholders can

benefit fromgiincluding investors,developers, occupiers, public sectorbodies and the wider community.

Appropriate long-term maintenancearrangements and funding need to beestablished if the benefits are to be

long lasting.

7Cabe Space (2005) Does Money Grow on Trees?8AWM and The Environment Agency (2001) The Environmental Economy of the West Midlands


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