1. General information Location and description of the intervention City or FUA Birmingham (FUA) Region Europe Short description of the intervention Air pollution is one of the most pressing sustainability challenges in the UK, with particulate levels exceeding both WHO guidelines and EU safe limits in many cities (Ref 6). In 2014, Birmingham was identified by the WHO as one of nine UK cities breaching air pollution safety guidelines (Ref 2, 3). In 2012, a soil-based green wall was installed at Birmingham New Street Train Station as part of a project aimed at improving air quality, as diesel train services contribute significantly to nitrogen oxide (NOx) pollution. However, most of the plants did not survive. In 2017, Network Rail commissioned a private company to reconstruct the wall using a hydroponic system (Ref 3). The new green wall was installed in 2018 and completed in May 2019 (Ref 1, 3). This hydroponic green wall not only enhances the urban environment with calming green infrastructure, but also helps mitigate air pollution and promotes biodiversity with the addition of 16,600 plants (Ref 1, 2, 3). Website of the intervention https://www.biotecture.uk.com/portfolio/birmingham-new-street-station/ Principal problems Climate-Related Hazards Heat stress & Extreme temperatures Environmental Degradation Air pollution Land use and Socio-economic change Rapid urbanization Implementation area characterization Climate Temperate ( Humid subtropical, Hot-summer Mediterranean, Warm-summer Mediterranean, Warm-temperate with dry winter) Ecosystem Urban or built environment Address New Street station Station Street Birmingham B2 4QA United Kingdom Location The NBS is situated in an area, with clear delineation of boundaries and a specific shape (polygon). The NBS project can also have more than one area location (more than one polygon, situated close by). Area boundary (map-based) NBS area image Source of NBS area image Source image: https://www.google.com/maps/place/Birmingham+New+Street/@52.4780368,-1.8970137,87m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m6!3m5!1s0x487096f1df0e0571:0xedfa487a0f2ea32e!8m2!3d52.477754!4d-1.898958!16zL20vMDFkdDFq?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI0MDkxNi4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D Total area 115.50m² NBS area 113.50m² Area description Urban (main city) Type of area before implementation of the NBS Residential Building Other Please specify “other type of area” before implementation of the NBS Before implementation of the replacement living wall in 2019, a soil based living wall was located there since 2012. However the original plants exhausted the soil and the majority of the plants had died despite several replants by 2017 (Ref 1, 3). Timeline of intervention Start date of the intervention (planning process) 2017 Start date of intervention (implementation process) 2018 End date of the intervention 2019 Present stage of the intervention Completed 2. Objectives of the intervention Objectives of the intervention Goals of the intervention Goals of Birmingham New Street Station project (Ref 4): 1) To enhance sustainable urbanization by building a pleasant promenade of calming, green infrastructure within the built urban environment. 2) To install a hydroponic living wall that enhances local micro climate regulation. 3) To contribute to carbon sequestration and to reduces greenhouse gases, by incorporating more greenery 4) To increase the well being of the residents and the people transiting the station by improving the environment for commuters and residents, providing a green and pleasant space that can be enjoyed by all, promoting social inclusion Key Priorities Climate action (adaptation and/or mitigation) Social Justice and community Sustainability challenge(s) addressed Climate action for adaptation, resilience and mitigation (SDG 13) Climate change mitigation Environmental quality Air quality improvement Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15) Green space creation and/or management Regeneration, land-use and urban development Promote natural styles of landscape design for urban development Health and well-being (SDG 3) Creation of opportunities for recreation Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10) Social interaction Climate change mitigation: What activities are implemented to realize the conservation goals and targets? Install vertical or horizontal artificial surfaces that help with carbon storage and cooling Implementation activities and NBS focus Implementation activities 1) Removed the old, soil based, living wall system and reconstruct an all new hydroponic living wall to replace it (Ref 3). 2) Replanted the horizontal planter the runs at the base of the living wall and three stand along planters on the station end of the walkway and added 16,600 new plants (1,2,3). 3) The ongoing maintenance regime including particular plant care requirements, irrigation system running parameters and site specific information. The irrigation system is remotely monitored daily and regular site visits will be performed to monitor the appearance and overall health of the living wall (ibid.). Type of NBS project Creation of new green areas Creation of green roofs and walls Maintenance and management of urban nature Maintenance or upgrade of exisiting green spaces (e.g. parks) Improved governance of green or blue areas Re-design of existing NBS governance or management approaches 3. NBS domains, ES and scale NBS domain and interventions Ecological domain(s) where the NBS intervention(s) is/are implemented Nature on buildings (external) Green walls or facades Amenities offered by the NBS Unknown Design elements for well-being Visual elements (e.g., expansive views, scenic views, natural light, diverse vegetation) Auditory elements (e.g., birdsong, water features, quiet areas, rustling leaves) Olfactory elements (e.g., floral scents, earthy smells) Tactile elements (e.g., natural materials like wood or stone, exposure to sunlight) Services Expected ecosystem services delivered Regulating services Local climate regulation (temperature reduction) Air quality regulation Mediation of smell / noise / visual impacts Cultural services Aesthetic appreciation Recreation Mental and physical health and wellbeing Social and community interactions Scale Spatial scale Sub-microscale: Street scale (including buildings) Beneficiaries Demographics in implementation area The project is located within the Ladywood ward. There are 300 people living in the postcode area, 45,5% of which age between 20 and 29 in 2021 (Ref 7). The largest groups of socio-economic classification are Full-time students (28,9%) and Never worked and long-term unemployed (17,5%) (Ref 7). Economic activity status of residents in the area are Economically inactive (46,1%), Economically active: In employment (41,0%) and Unemployed (12,9%). Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh composes 43,6% of the population, followed by White (31,3%) and Black (11,0%). Household size is mostly 1 person (73,0%) or 2 people (21,7%). Socio-economic profile of the area Low-income Communities vulnerable to environmental hazards or climate change impacts Yes Specification of climate or environmentally vulnerable communities Communities near industrial areas Non-government actors Public sector institution (e.g. school or hospital) Private sector/Corporate/Business Primary Beneficiaries Public sector institution (e.g. school or hospital) Citizens or community groups Specify primary beneficiaries For public sector institution such as Birmingham New Street Station and Network Rail, the water based living wall contributes not only to overall urban greening efforts, but also to air quality improvement and urban biodiversity promoting (Ref 1). It can absorb pollutants such as NO2 and particulate matter, as well as providing cooling effect (Ref 6). For citizens and community groups, exposure to natural elements and improved air quality provide benefits for both their mental and physical health (Ref 1). At the same time, it increases aesthetic enjoyment, cooling and comfort. Marginalized groups Unknown Other beneficiaries Local wildlife (e.g., birds, pollinators) Ecosystem services (e.g. improved air quality, water purification) City infrastructure (e.g., reduced flooding, improved water quality) 4. Governance and financing Governance Governance arrangements Co-governance with government and non-government actors Please specify the roles of the specific government and non-government actor groups involved in the initiative The new living wall project was commissioned by Network Rail and reconstructed by the green infrastructure company Biotecture (Ref 2, 3). Agreements has been signed for the reconstruction and the maintenance of the living wall between Network Rail and Biotecture (Ref 3). Biotecture's core concept is to transform urban architecture for the well-being of the people and the planet and reconnect people with nature (Ref 1). Key actors - initiating organization Public sector institution Key actors - Other stakeholders involved (besides initiating actors) Private sector/corporate actor/company Participatory methods/forms of stakeholder involvement (all stakeholders) Co-planning (e.g. stakeholder workshops, focus groups, participatory mapping) Co-management/Joint management Uncommon actors ("Missing actors") Public Services Public transport authorities: railway, bus, airports Land owners Railway Policy drivers NBS intervention implemented in response to a Regional Directive/Strategy Unknown NBS intervention implemented in response to a national regulations/strategy/plan Unknown NBS intervention implemented in response to a local regulation/strategy/plan Unknown Mandatory or voluntary intervention Unknown Enablers & Barriers Type of enablers Unknown Governace and decison-making instruments Public - private business agreement (e.g. public private collaborations, public-private-partnerships (PPP)) Arrangements for governance cooperation Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) or agreements (e.g. among local governance and other actors outlining project roles and responsibilities of project implementation) Performance monitoring and evaluation frameworks (e.g. adoption of KPIs, or establishment or monitoring and evaluation processes) Barriers No record in public evidence. Financing Total cost Unknown Please specify total cost (EUR) 1) The funding for the original living wall project came from the local council and Advantage West Midlands (Ref 4). 2) Birmingham Conservatives planed to invest £500 million of national funds for green walls to improve the city's green infrastructure in 2018 (Ref 8). However, the cost or budget of the discussed living wall project is unknown. What is/was the Cost/Budget (EUR) of the NBS or green infrastructure elements? n/a Source(s) of funding Public local authority budget Public regional budget Type of fund(s) used Earmarked public budget Non-financial contribution Unknown Co-finance for NBS Unknown Entrepreneurship opportunities Unknown Business models Business models Risk reduction model Green densification model Green health model Which of the involved actors was motivated by this model? Public actor (e.g. municipality) Private for-profit actor (e.g. firm, insurer) 5. Evaluation and learning Impacts, benefits Environmental impacts Climate change Enhanced carbon sequestration Expected enhanced carbon sequestration Environmental quality Improved air quality Expected improved air quality Green space and habitat Increased green space area Achieved increased green space area Increased number of species present Achieved increased number of species present Description of environmental benefits -Expected enhanced carbon sequestration: "'Living green walls' lined with trees and bushes could help absorbing carbon dioxide on major commuter routes" (9) - Improved air quality: "Plants growing in a living wall near a train station were shown to be capable of capturing a considerable amount of particulate pollution"; "The living wall located by New Street Station showed a promising potential for capture of atmospheric PM pollutants" (Ref 6). "And, thanks to the latest hydroponic technology, that should signal a much longer life" (Ref 1). -Increased number of species present: "The living wall creates a pleasant promenade of calming, green infrastructure amongst this built urban environment with the addition of 16,600 plants."; A selection of 10 plant species are utilised in the planting plan at Birmingham New street to give variety in colour and texture"; Flowering Heucheras and Armeria ensure that there will be a vibrant slash of colour in the wall in the spring and summer months, while the variegated, evergreen foliage of the Euonymus and Pachysandra offer winter interest." -Increased green space area: "The 77 metre long living wall on the link bridge at New Street Station in Birmingham welcomes travellers from all over the country to the centre of the city." (1,2) Environmental impact indicators Total number of vascular plant species protected or introduced 10 Green space area created (in ha) 115.5 Economic impacts Increase of green jobs (e.g. paid employment positions) Achieved increase of green jobs (e.g. paid employment positions) Description of economic benefits - Increase of green jobs (e.g. paid employment positions): "Network rail commissioned Biotecture to remove the old, soil based, living wall system and reconstruct an all new hydroponic living wall to replace it"; "The irrigation system will be remotely monitored daily from our offices by our maintenance team and we will perform regular site visits to monitor the appearance and overall health of the living wall" (Ref 3). Social and cultural impacts Health and wellbeing Enhanced cognitive restoration, relaxation and stress relief Expected enhanced cognitive restoration, relaxation and stress relief Description of social and cultural benefits -Enhanced cognitive restoration, relaxation and stress relief: "Seeing the wall in all of its glory is a completely different and much more calming experience to the way other parts of the city are challenged by the harshness of the built environment" (Ref 1). Mental health benefits Restoration and relaxation Evidence for use of assessment Presence of an assessment, evaluation and/or monitoring process Yes Actors involved in the assessment, monitoring or evaluation of NBS impacts Private sector/corporate actor/company Presence of indicators used in reporting Yes Type of indicators Input indicators Output indicators Presence of monitoring/evaluation reports No evidence in public records Availability of a web-based monitoring tool No evidence in public records Name of any specific impact assessment tools Biotecture used irrigation system running parameters and site specific information. to monitor and maintain the living wall (Ref 3). The irrigation system will be remotely monitored daily from their offices by the maintenance team and regular site visits will be performed to monitor the appearance and overall health of the living wall. (3) Use of GIS in mapping impacts No evidence in public records Cost-benefit analysis Unknown Transparency Online disclosure of technical reports (e.g. project documents, reports, or data) Justice Community satisfaction Positive: The majority of feedback and reports indicate high levels of satisfaction and appreciation for the NBS project within the community. Description of locals satisfaction with the project References are limited upon this matter. In the only newsletter reporting the new living wall available online, Graham Young commented, 'Seeing the wall in all of its glory is a completely different and much more calming experience to the way other parts of the city are challenged by the harshness of the built environment.' (Ref 1). Trade-offs & Negative impacts Unknown Emphasis of existing social inequalities or injustices No information reported related to negative social justice-related impacts of the NBS project Measures to prevent gentrification or displacement No initiatives or policies were implemented High-quality & Transformative NBS Multiple impacts delivery (climate, biodiversity, just community) Yes Goal setting and impacts delivery No, although benefits were delivered in all the 3 key areas, but in the planning phase, the project did not aim to address issues in all the 3 key priority areas. Reaching original project goals Some of the project goals were achieved Please specify the achievements of the project goals Climate action: -Expected enhanced carbon sequestration: "'Living green walls' lined with trees and bushes could help absorbing carbon dioxide on major commuter routes" (9) - Improved air quality: "Plants growing in a living wall near a train station were shown to be capable of capturing a considerable amount of particulate pollution"; "The living wall located by New Street Station showed a promising potential for capture of atmospheric PM pollutants" (Ref 6). "And, thanks to the latest hydroponic technology, that should signal a much longer life" (Ref 1). -Increased number of species present: "The living wall creates a pleasant promenade of calming, green infrastructure amongst this built urban environment with the addition of 16,600 plants."; A selection of 10 plant species are utilised in the planting plan at Birmingham New street to give variety in colour and texture"; Flowering Heucheras and Armeria ensure that there will be a vibrant slash of colour in the wall in the spring and summer months, while the variegated, evergreen foliage of the Euonymus and Pachysandra offer winter interest." -Increased green space area: "The 77 metre long living wall on the link bridge at New Street Station in Birmingham welcomes travellers from all over the country to the centre of the city." (1,2) Social justice and community: -Enhanced cognitive restoration, relaxation and stress relief: "Seeing the wall in all of its glory is a completely different and much more calming experience to the way other parts of the city are challenged by the harshness of the built environment" (Ref 1). Long-term perspective Yes Cost-effective solutions Unknown Equitable impacts C. Unknown Transformative capacity Technical change (e.g. built infrastructure of cities and their parts, roads, buildings and so on) Magnitude of change Incremental: shallow; that is, mostly maintaining business-as-usual approaches to adaptation Application of lessons learned The NBS has been shared or used as a good practice to trigger transformative change Perception of Environmental Change Unknown 6. Sources References 1. Young G (2019). Why the giant living green wall of New Street Station had to be ripped out. 2nd ed. Birmingham: BirminghamLive, Accessed on August 1, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 2. Rose M. (2019). Welcoming Wall at Birmingham New Street Station. Birmingham: Biotecture, Accessed on August 1, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 3. Biotecture (n.d.). Biotecture Case Study—Birmingham New Street Train Station . Biotecture, Accessed on August 1, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 4. NetworkNatrue (n.d.). Birmingham New Street Station. Accessed on August 2, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 5. Rail Safety and Standards Board (2019). Birmingham New Street - A New Approach to Infrastructure. Rail Safety and Standards Board, Accessed on August 2, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 6. Weerakkody, U.; Dover, W., J.; Mitchell, P.; Reiling, K. (n.d.). Particulate matter pollution capture by leaves of seventeen living wall species with special reference to rail-traffic at a metropolitan station. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, p. 173-186 Accessed on August 1, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 7. Office for National Statistics (2021). Area profile for E00186100. Census 2021, Accessed on August 5, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 8. Pettit, H. (2018). 'Living green walls' lined with trees and bushes could help reduce toxic pollution by absorbing carbon dioxide on major commuter routes. MailOnline, Accessed on August 5, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; Comments and notes Public Images Image The new water based living wall in Birmingham New Street Station Biotecture Image The new water based living wall in Birmingham New Street Station Biotecture
