As a result from the above-mentioned efforts, Liverpool has now implemented over 40 nature-based solutions (NbS) across the city, which can be divided into four groups:
Re-naturing urbanisation: solutions covering larger urban areas and mitigating the effects of climate change;
Singular green infrastructure: plant-based interventions, tackling environmental problems in specific urban areas;
Water interventions: tackling the effects of heavy rains and reducing surface water floodrisks; and
Non-technical interventions: to engage local communities with Liverpool’s green mission.
In the city centre, where space is scarce, these interventions mainly include smaller solutions, such as street trees and green walls. For example, two shopping centres were equipped with “living green walls”, spanning 27 and 65 metres in length respectively. The installations encourage more biodiversity in the city centre, improve air quality and enhance the overall experience for visitors. Such complex interventions (the larger green wall is filled with over 14 000 evergreen plants) required collaborative efforts by the project’s multiple stakeholders, including Liverpool City Council, Liverpool University, and the Mersey Forest and relied on funding from the EU Horizon 2020 grant.
Particularly in the local Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) there was strong support for implementing green infrastructure. The results of a survey in 2017 showed that 92% of city centre businesses thought that green infrastructure would enhance the BIDs and 69% believed local greening would directly benefit their own business. The most impactful perceived benefits were increased footfall, higher customer spend and the attraction of new businesses.
The implementation and maintenance of NbS relied on external funding and required facilitation of agreements with and among stakeholders. Most of the NbS planted on City Council land were incorporated into the Council’s maintenance programme. When the maintenance was not affordable for the City Council, sponsors or partners were sought. Interventions on privately owned land required legal agreements with property owners on ownership and maintenance (e.g. the City Council covers the installation costs while the property owner is responsible for ongoing and longer-term the maintenance). In some cases, such agreements also needed to be made between stakeholders (e.g. landlords and tenants). Overall, financing the implementation of NbS was only possible due to external funding, such as the Horizon 2020 grant or the national government’s (DEFRA/HLF) Green Recovery Challenge Fund.
Local Community engagement was a key part of both the Horizon 2020 project and the Green Recovery Challenge Fund. Under these funding initiatives local communities were actively consulted and engaged in planned NbS schemes and encouraged to use and enjoy green space though initiatives such as the Natural Health Service, which promotes the use of green space for wellbeing. This community focussed work has included supporting asylum seekers and working with minority groups to encourage them to access and enjoy green spaces.
