There are many projects worldwide that are meant to regenerate the green spaces in big metropolitan areas and Manchester is definitely leading the way. The English city is adamant about creating new green spaces and restoring those that were damaged over time.
This article will concentrate specifically on initiatives that are trying to make the City of Manchester a greener space. We will discuss past projects that have made an impact, along with ongoing and future projects that mean to do the same.
Projects for Green Manchester
In this section, we will list all environmental projects in Manchester (past, present and future) that have impressed us.
Green Streets Manchester
Green Streets Manchester is an ongoing project whose goal is to create more green spaces in Manchester. The project started all the way back in 2001 and it’s still working hard to improve the life of urban communities by giving them more green spaces that create cleaner air and lovely hang out spots.
Green Streets has planted many trees around the city for the past 20 years, along with creating so-called green walls and communal green alleyways. The project works with local communities to give them tailor-made greening opportunities. Green Streets is also educating the public and businesses on why greening is so important for Manchester.
i-Tree Eco
i-Tree Eco was a project, developed by City of Trees, that meant to quantify the value of trees and woods in Greater Manchester. The massive survey took place during the spring and autumn of 2018 and it was the biggest such survey outside the US.
Once the data was collected, it was processed through an i-tree software which could provide valuable information about the surveyed trees such as any threat of disease, their economic value, as well as where it would be suitable to plant more.
It turns out that there are over 11 million trees in the area and they produce 122,450 tonnes of oxygen per year. However, more than 1 million can potentially die due to disease. The survey was valuable in identifying potential problems with the existing trees and suitable places to plant more to offset the carbon footprint of the city.
Irwell Catchment Pilot Project
This is another project undertaken by City of Trees in partnership with the Environment Agency and United Utilities. What it does is it maps areas in Manchester around the Irwell River catchment where there’s both need and opportunity to plant trees.
More specifically, these trees are needed to help prevent water pollution, as well as flooding, which is a massive issue in the UK and it will continue to only get worse due to climate change. Trees are a sustainable solution to these and other problems that the local environment and communities are facing.
In order to locate areas that require this green infrastructure, the Irwell Catchment Pilot Project uses GIS modelling to find potential pollutants to water sources. In addition, the created GIS model also finds areas where green infrastructure could be beneficial.
GreenGrow Park
GreenGrow is another organisation that recognised the necessity of green solutions to Manchester’s historical problem with flooding. According to their data, water flooding has increased ten times since 1945 and it’s only expected to increase, which is quite a worrying prognosis.
One of the nature-based solutions by GreenGrow was to create a park that drinks water. The park is situated in West Gorton and it officially opened in 2020. It is designed in such a way as to prevent flooding. They achieved that by placing swales, rain gardens, bioretention tree pits, irrigation rill and special pavement in strategic spots.
The West Gorton park now provides flooding prevention, as well as cleaner air and a beautiful place for the local community where people can relax and do a plethora of outdoor activities.
Gorton Growing Together
Gorton Growing Together is a fantastic initiative, which shows what one can do with seemingly useless land. City of Trees decided to use the plot of land adjacent to the Gorton Community Centre in Manchester and create a magical community garden for all to use.
The Gorton Growing Together project provides educational information on growing food and sustainable practices to the public that allows people from all ages to come together and learn the value of fresh local food and later to also grow it.