1. General information
Location and description of the intervention
City or FUA
Cardiff
Region
Europe
Native title of the NBS intervention
Green Roof of St David's shopping centre
Short description of the intervention
In 2013, St Davids shopping centre, which has over 200 stores and restaurants (ref 5) completed the installation of a green roof, which included bird boxes and beehives and the centre is looking to expand its green roof further. The city shopping centre has become the home of a 60,000-strong colony of bees. A second green roof was developed in 2015 in the parking garage to expand educational programs (ref 4). School children from Cardiff were involved in the planting of seedlings to create pollinator habitats for bees, butterflies and other local wildlife around the ‘Hayes’ area (ref 3). The customers and local community, with the help of this project, have been taught about the value of adopting an eco-friendly approach to public space. (ref 1)
Address

St Davids shopping centre, Bridge Street Arcade
11 St Davids Way
Cardiff
CF10 2EN
United Kingdom

Location
Point location, which indicates where the NBS takes place
Total area
3700.00m²
NBS area
3700.00m²
Type of area before implementation of the NBS
Building
Website of the intervention
https://stdavidscardiff.com/
Timeline of intervention
Start date of the intervention (planning process)
unknown
Start date of intervention (implementation process)
2013
End date of the intervention
2015
Present stage of the intervention
Completed
Goals of the intervention
1. Reduce the surface runoff volume
2. Thermal Performance - to significantly reduce the need for air-conditioning in the summer and heating in the winter.
3. Roof maintenance: minimum
4. Air quality improvements
5. Community education
6. Beehives creation (ref 1)
7. Make an effort to prevent the decline of the species in South Wales. (ref 2)
Quantitative targets
1. Air quality improvements: 1sqm roof removes 0.2kg airborne particulates per year
2. 3700 sq ft area covered by green roof
3. > 5% energy savings
4. 6 beehives hosting 10,000 bees
(ref 1 and 3)
5. impact in the decline of species in South Wales (ref 2)
6. plant 2,700 trees (ref 3)
Monitoring indicators defined
1. area covered by green roof in sq ft
2. kg airborne particulate remove
3. energy savings percentage
4. number of bees in hives (ref 1, 3)
5. # of species in South Wales (ref 2)
6. number of trees planted (ref 3)
Sustainability challenge(s) addressed
Climate action for adaptation, resilience and mitigation (SDG 13)
Climate change adaptation
Water management (SDG 6)
Stormwater and rainfall management and storage
Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
Habitat and biodiversity restoration
Green space creation and/or management
Environmental quality
Air quality improvement
Regeneration, land-use and urban development
Regulation of built environment
Promote natural styles of landscape design for urban development
Climate change adaptation: What were the goals of the NBS?
Reduce exposure to climate risks directly
Reduce the impacts of climate risks events on urban places and communities
Climate change adaptation: What activities are implemented to realize the conservation goals and targets?
Increase or improve urban vegetation cover to help reduce outdoor temperature
Implement green walls or roofs to lower indoor temperature and provide insulation
Implement sustainable urban drainage infrastructure (e.g. to make space for water)
What types of restoration goals are / were defined for the NBS intervention?
Species-focused
What activities are implemented to realize the restoration goals and targets?
Rehabilitate and restore damaged or destroyed ecosystems
Restore species (native, endangered, or unspecified)
Restore native species
Restore valued species
Public engagement
Implementation activities
1. The roof was designed to be simple and maintenance free. (ref 1)
2. 6 beehives hosting 60,000 bees were created (ref 3, ref 2) through the BEEWORLD project in partnership with the International Bee Research Association (ref 4).
3. Bird boxes were established on the rooftops.
4. Educational activities were established in partnership with RSPB and Pollen8 to teach children about pollinators and urban biodiversity.
5. 2700 trees were planted needs a reference (ref 3)
Type of NBS project
Creation of new green areas
Knowledge creation and awareness raising
NBS domain and interventions
Ecological domain(s) where the NBS intervention(s) is/are implemented
Nature on buildings (external)
Green roofs
Balcony greens
Grey infrastructure featuring greens
Other
Please specify "other urban green space connected to grey infrastructure"
6 beehives hosting 60,000 bees were created (ref 3, ref 2) Bird boxes were established on the rooftops. (ref 3) planting of seedlings to create pollinator habitats for bees, butterflies and other local wildlife around the ‘Hayes’ area (ref 3).
Type of Green Roof
Semi-intensive Green Roof: depth 5 - 7 inches; plants: Selected Perennials, Sedums, ornamental Grasses, Herbs and little Shrubs; Medium maintenance and costs
Vegetation Type
Grass
Shrubs
Trees
Flower beds
Please specify how many trees were planted
2700 (ref 3)
Amenities offered by the NBS
Benches and drinking water stations
Educational or biodiversity trails
Complementing infrastructure (bathrooms, café)
Services
Expected ecosystem services delivered
Regulating services
Local climate regulation (temperature reduction)
Air quality regulation
Carbon storage/sequestration
Flood regulation
Pollination
Habitat and supporting services
Habitats for species
Maintenance of genetic diversity
Cultural services
Aesthetic appreciation
Intellectual interactions (scientific and / or educational)
Spiritual and / or emblematic (symbolic, sacred and / or religious)
Scale
Spatial scale
Sub-microscale: Street scale (including buildings)
Beneficiaries
Primary Beneficiaries
Private sector/Corporate/Company
Researchers/University
Citizens or community groups
Young people and children
Governance
Governance arrangements
Led by non-government actors
Non-government actors
Private sector/Corporate/Business
Researchers, university
Coalition with multiple of the above
Please specify the roles of the specific government and non-government actor groups involved in the initiative
St Davids shopping centre, owned by the real estate development company LandSecurities, completed the installation of a green roof (ref 1). The landscape design was done by Hyland, Edgar and David (ref 5). School children from Cardiff were involved in planting seedlings to create pollinator habitats. (ref 3) , the insects are part of St David’s BEEWORLD Project, a scheme set up in partnership with the International Bee Research Association in an effort to prevent the decline of the species in South Wales. (ref 2). Educational programming is conducted by RSPB and Pollen8 (ref 4). Another research partner is Cardiff University (ref 4).
Key actors - initiating organization
Private sector/corporate actor/company
Land owners
Real estate developer
Please specify other Key actors - Other stakeholders involved
The landscape design was done by Hyland, Edgar and David (ref 5).
School children from Cardiff were involved in planting seedlings to create pollinator habitats. (ref 3)
the insects are part of St David’s BEEWORLD Project, a scheme set up in partnership with the International Bee Research Association in an effort to prevent the decline of the species in South Wales. (ref 2).
Key actors - Other stakeholders involved (besides initiating actors)
Private sector/corporate actor/company
Transnational network
Researchers/university
Citizens or community group
Other
Land owners
Real estate developer
Participatory methods/forms of community involvement used
Joint implementation (e.g. tree planting)
Policy drivers
NBS intervention implemented in response to an 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
Voluntary (spontaneous)
Enablers
Presence of specific city-level GI/NBS vision/strategy/plan - mentioned in connection to the project
Yes
Please specify
The Cardiff Biodiversity and Resilience of Ecosystems Duty Forward Plan has been updated in September of 2019. Included within this plan is the City of Cardiff Council Green Infrastructure Plan (Ref 7). Green roofs are specifically mentioned throughout this document as a beneficial nature-based solution for urban development.
Presence of specific city-level GI/NBS section/part in a more general plan - mentioned in connection to the project
Unknown
If there is a relevant strategy or plan, please specify the theme / type of the plan.
City specific green space strategy or plan
Presence of city network or regional partnerships focused on NBS - mentioned in connection to the project
Yes
Please specify
In addition to the centre's connection with Cardiff University and International Bee Research Association, the Centre has also joined 320 organisations as a part of the Sustainable Development Charter, which is Wales' highest commitment to embedding sustainable development goals into their agenda (ref 8).
Presence of GI / NBS research project - mentioned in connection to the project
Yes
Please specify
The insects are part of St David’s BEEWORLD Project: a scheme set up in partnership with the International Bee Research Association to prevent the decline of the species in South Wales. (ref 2)
Subsidies/investment for GI / NBS in the city - mentioned in connection to the project
Unknown
Co-finance for NBS
No
Co-financing governance arrangements
No
Was this co-governance arrangement already in place, or was it set up specifically for this NBS?
Not applicable
Financing
Total cost
€50,000 - €100,000
What is/was the Cost/Budget (EUR) of the NBS or green infrastructure elements?
101,304 Euro (ref 1)
What are the total amount of expected annual maintenance costs?
Unknown
What is the expected annual maintenance costs of the NBS or GI elements?
Unknown
Please specify cost savings
There are indirect cost savings highlighted, such as a 5% reduction in heating/cooling costs (ref 1). However, the quantification of this cost savings has not been made public.
Please specify total cost (EUR)
101,304 Euro (ref 1)
Source(s) of funding
Corporate investment
Type of fund(s) used
Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities)
Non-financial contribution
Unknown
Business models
Green densification model
Urban offsetting model (biodiversity or water)
Which of the involved actors was motivated by this model?
Private for-profit actor (e.g. firm, insurer)
Type of innovation
Technological
Product innovation
Social
Cultural innovation
Please specify technological innovation
Creation of green roof and placing of beehives. (ref 1)
Please specify social innovation
School children from Cardiff were involved in planting seedlings to create pollinator habitats for bees, butterflies and other local wildlife around the ‘Hayes’ area (ref 3)
Novelty level of the innovation
Unknown
Please specify novelty level of the innovation
Unknown
Replicability/Transferability
Unknown
Please specify Replicability/Transferability
Unknown
Impacts, benefits
Environmental impacts
Climate change
Lowered local temperature
Reduced emissions
Strengthened capacity to address climate hazards/natural disasters
Enhanced carbon sequestration
Environmental quality
Improved air quality
Water management and blue areas
Improved stormwater management
Green space and habitat
Increased green space area
Increased conservation or restoration of ecosystems
Reduced biodiversity loss
Increased number of species present
Enhanced support of pollination
Description of environmental benefits
Bees in urban spaces are incredibly important to ecosystems; in many cases, their potential for pollination, despite a lower diversity in the number of insects in general, is higher in urban areas than in rural areas (ref 6). While it is hard to put a monetary value on the 60,000 bees housed on the roof, there are certainly many benefits to their presence within the city (ref 2). Additionally, there is increased plant and insect biodiversity because of the 2700 trees (ref 3) and other plant species present (ref 5). Water runoff is reduced as well, and thermal performance (heating/cooling) is 5% more efficient because of the roof (ref 1). Also, 1 square meter of roof removes 0.2 kg of airborne particulates per year, 1.5 square meters generate sufficient oxygen per year for 1 person (ref 1).

School children from Cardiff were involved in the planting of seedlings to create pollinator habitats for bees, butterflies and other local wildlife around the ‘Hayes’ area (ref 3).

2700 trees were planted needs a reference (ref 3)
Economic impacts
Increase in GDP
Reduce financial cost for urban management
Attraction of business and investment
Description of economic benefits
While it is difficult to directly quantify the economic benefit of the rooftop, maintenance is 3 times more efficient and energy consumption for heating/cooling decreases by 5% (ref 1). Further, there are 5.5 million people that visit the centre per month (ref 5); occupying nearly one-third of central downtown (ref 8), if there is a perception publicly that the centre is having a positive benefit for the area (nature and people), this could possibly lead to an increase in foot-traffic or investment. This is not made public.
Social and cultural impacts
Social justice and cohesion
Improved liveability
Improved access to urban green space
Cultural heritage and sense of place
Improvement in people’s connection to nature
Education
Increased support for education and scientific research
Increased knowledge of locals about local nature
Increased awareness of NBS and their benefits
Description of social and cultural benefits
Environmental education and research connections are the primary cultural benefit coming from the centre's green-roof, with hundreds of students visiting the facility for educational lessons annually (ref 3). Further, over 4,000 residents live in the Hayes apartments above the centre (ref 5); their access to these rooftop gardens is a great way of connecting people with one another and with nature. Overall, there is not quantified evidence that has been published aside from the below.

achieved:
hundreds of students visiting the facility for educational lessons annually (ref 3).
Type of reported impacts
Expected impacts
Achieved impacts
Indicators
the city shopping centre has become the home to a 60,000-strong colony of bees. (ref 1)
indicators:
1. 3700 sq ft area covered by green roof (ref 1)
2. > 5% energy savings (ref 1)
3. 6 bee hives hosting 10,000 bees
(ref 1 and 3)

School children from Cardiff were involved in the planting of seedlings to create pollinator habitats for bees, butterflies and other local wildlife around the ‘Hayes’ area (ref 3).
hundreds of students visiting the facility for educational lessons annually (ref 3).
Environmental, social and economic impacts
Climate action for adaptation, resilience and mitigation (SDG 13)
Climate change mitigation
Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
Habitat and biodiversity restoration
Green space creation and/or management
Regeneration, land-use and urban development
Regulation of built environment
Conversion of former industrial areas
Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10)
Social interaction
Health and well-being (SDG 3)
Creation of opportunities for recreation
Economic development and employment (SDG 8)
Real estate development
Analysis of specific impact categories
Job creation: The NBS created ...
No information available
Environmental justice: The implementation of the NBS project resulted in ...
Positive distribution of NBS benefits
Improved access to green and/or blue spaces
Negative impacts: Did the project cause any problems or concerns?
No information was found regarding negative impacts of the project
COVID-19 pandemic
Due to Covid-19, the centre, and all non-essential shops, have had to close. This has also prohibited access to the green-roof. As of July 8 2020, these restrictions are still in place.
Methods of impact monitoring
Process of recording NBS impacts
No evidence in public records
Methods used to evaluate the impacts of NBS
Unknown
Evidence for use of assessment
Presence of an assessment, evaluation and/or monitoring process
Unknown
Presence of indicators used in reporting
No evidence in public records
Presence of monitoring/evaluation reports
No evidence in public records
Availability of a web-based monitoring tool
No evidence in public records
Impact assessment mechanism
Name of any specific impact assessment tools
Unknown
Use of GIS in mapping impacts
No evidence in public records
Citizen involvement
Citizens involvement in assessment/evaluation
Unknown
Citizens involvement in the analysis of the assessment/evaluation
Unknown
Follow-up to the evaluation / assessment
Unknown
References
Web links relevant to the intervention
Wales News Online Article About St. David's Centre
List of references
1. Revo-community. (No date). Green Roof St David’s, Cardiff. [Available at: https://www.revocommunity.org/documents/get_lobid=169&age=&field=file]. [Accessed on July 6 2020].
2. Bevan N. (2014). Cardiff's a great place to bee: Hives set up on St David's with 60,000-strong colony of bees. Wales online. [Available at: http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/local-news/cardiffs-great-place-bee-hives-6988507]. [Accessed on: July 6 2020].
3. Clarks. (2015). Children create a buzz at St. Davids Cardiff. [Website not available in 2020].
4. Sustain Wales. (2017). Sustainable Venues 2017. [Available at: cynnalcymru.com/sustainable-venue-2017/]. [Accessed on July 6 2020].
5. WalesOnline. (2011). Sky Gardens Unvveiled on Roof of St. David's Centre. [Available at: https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/sky-gardens-unveiled-roof-st-1836331]. [Accessed on: July 6, 2020].
6. German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research. (2020). Pollination is better in cities than in the countryside. [Available at: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/01/200129091438.htm]. [Accessed on: July 6, 2020].
7. Cardiff Caerdydd. (2019). Cardiff Biodiversity and Resilience of Ecosystems Duty Forward Plan: City of Cardiff Council Green Infrastructure Plan. Cardiff: City of Cardiff. [Available at: https://cardiff.moderngov.co.uk/documents/s34305/Cabinet%2026%20Sept%202019%20Biodiversity%20BRED%20App.pdf]. [Accessed on: July 6, 2020].
8. European Sustainable Development Week. (2015). St. David’s Shopping Centre Signs the SD Charter. [Available at: https://esdw.eu/events/st-davids-shopping-centre-signs-the-sd-charter-2/]. [Accessed on: July 6, 2020].
Attachments
Attachment Size
St. David's Green Roof Overview (797.78 KB) 797.78 KB
Comments and notes
Additional insights
Additional sustainability-related actions taken by the centre included (ref 4):
- promoted alternative forms of transport
- worked alongside Tesla and BMW to introduce electric car charging facilities in the car park for customers
- recycling 100% of waste
- instituting a "living wage" standard
Pictures of the NBS
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