Gosford Street (Public Realm Scheme)

1. General information

Location and description of the intervention

City or FUA

Coventry

Region

Europe

Native title of the NBS intervention

Gosford Street (Public Realm Scheme)

Short description of the intervention

Coventry City Council's 'Public Realm Scheme' included a shared space scheme at Gosford Street. Work included newly planted trees, and landscape areas as well as an enlarged and improved pond. The project was funded by Coventry University and the European Regional Development Fund. (Ref. 1-4)

Address

Gosford Street
Coventry
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

POINT (-1.497749 52.407717)

POINT (-1.497492 52.407449)

POINT (-1.50188 52.40652)

POINT (-1.501408 52.405813)

POINT (-1.50247 52.405806)

POINT (-1.502642 52.406585)

NBS area image

Source of NBS area image

Ref. 5. Coventry City Council (2014) Public Report. Cabinet Report. Public realm phase 3.

Type of area before implementation of the NBS

Public Greenspace Area

Other

Please specify “other type of area” before implementation of the NBS

"public realm area within the university" (Ref. 3)

Website of the intervention

https://www.coventry.gov.uk/info/113/regeneration/1751/completed_improvement_wo…

Timeline of intervention

Start date of the intervention (planning process)

2015

Start date of intervention (implementation process)

2015

End date of the intervention

2015

Present stage of the intervention

Completed

Please specify "other" stage of the intervention

The nine-month project was completed in time and in budget (completed Dec. 2015). (Ref. 2)

2. Objectives of the intervention

Goals of the intervention

The intervention at Gosford Street is part of the city’s ‘Public Realm Scheme’ and aims to improve the public realm area within the university and upgrade the highway. “All schemes [i.e. the public realm schemes] incorporate trees and grass wherever practical in response to repeated calls for more greenery in the city centre” (thus introducing more green spaces and trees into the city centre). (Ref. 4, 5)

Quantitative targets

Unknown.

Monitoring indicators defined

Unknown.

Sustainability challenge(s) addressed

Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)

Green space creation and/or management

Implementation activities

New trees have been planted, and a landscape area, along with an enlarged and improved pond. (Ref. 1-4)
"It has been designed to also improve safety and will incorporate new entrances to Coventry City Council’s car-parks, additional lighting and full CCTV coverage." (Ref. 2)
"A new 'central spine' has been constructed with high quality seating, lighting and trees between Gosford Street and Coventry University Engineering and Computing Building” (Ref. 3)
Also (regarding follow up): "Re-paving of Far Gosford Street to complement the Gosford Street public realm scheme". (Ref. 7)

Type of NBS project

Creation of new green areas

Management and improved protection of rivers and other blue areas

3. NBS domains, ES and scale

NBS domain and interventions

Ecological domain(s) where the NBS intervention(s) is/are implemented

Grey infrastructure featuring greens

Alley or street trees and other street vegetation

Blue infrastructure

Lakes/ponds

Vegetation Type

Grass

Trees

Other

Please specify how many trees were planted

Unknown

Please specify other amenities offered by the NBS

"A new 'central spine' has been constructed with high quality seating, lighting and trees between Gosford Street and Coventry University Engineering and Computing Building” (Ref. 3)

Amenities offered by the NBS

Other

Services

Expected ecosystem services delivered

Cultural services

Aesthetic appreciation

Recreation

Social and community interactions

Scale

Spatial scale

Sub-microscale: Street scale (including buildings)

Beneficiaries

Primary Beneficiaries

Local government/Municipality

Researchers/University

Citizens or community groups

Please specify other local relevant strategy

'Public realm improvements' schemes (Ref. 4,5)
Green Business Programme. (Ref. 5, 6)

4. Governance and financing

Governance

Governance arrangements

Co-governance with government and non-government actors

Non-government actors

Researchers, university

Please specify the roles of the specific government and non-government actor groups involved in the initiative

"Coventry City Council and Coventry University have worked in collaboration to deliver a joint package of highway and public realm improvements. The nine month £5 million programme is 50% funded by European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) grant and 50% from Coventry University." (Ref. 3)
The project is managed by Coventry City Council. (Ref. 2)
Works in partnership with Coventry & Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership (CWLEP); comprised of private and public sector organisations. (Ref. 5)

Key actors - initiating organization

Local government/municipality

Researchers/university

Land owners

Public space owned by the city

Educational actor (schools or universities)

Key actors - Other stakeholders involved (besides initiating actors)

EU body

Local government/municipality

Public sector institution

Private sector/corporate actor/company

Researchers/university

Land owners

Public space owned by the city

Educational actor (schools or universities)

Participatory methods/forms of community involvement used

Co-planning (e.g. stakeholder workshops, focus groups, participatory mapping)

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

Yes

Please specify the "local regulation/strategy/plan"

Is part of Coventry City Council's 'Public realm scheme' (phase 3). (Ref. 5)

Mandatory or voluntary intervention

Mandatory (based on policy)

Intervention is mandatory

Spatial planning guidance

Enablers

Presence of specific city-level GI/NBS vision/strategy/plan - mentioned in connection to the project

Unknown

Presence of specific city-level GI/NBS section/part in a more general plan - mentioned in connection to the project

Yes

Please specify the general plan with GI/NBS section

“All schemes [i.e. the public realm schemes] incorporate trees and grass wherever practical in response to repeated calls for more greenery in the city centre” (thus introducing more green spaces and trees into the city centre). (Ref. 4, 5)

If there is a relevant strategy or plan, please specify the theme / type of the plan.

City specific green space strategy or plan

Urban redevelopment plan

Other

Please specify other vegetation type

“greenery" "green spaces" (Ref. 4, 5)
"new planted trees, and landscape areas as well as an enlarged and improved pond." (Ref. 1-4)

Presence of city network or regional partnerships focused on NBS - mentioned in connection to the project

Yes

Please specify

Coventry & Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership (CWLEP) which also includes a Green Business Programme. (Ref. 5, 6)

Presence of GI / NBS research project - mentioned in connection to the project

Unknown

Subsidies/investment for GI / NBS in the city - mentioned in connection to the project

Yes

Please specify

“The project, funded by the University and the European Regional Development Fund, and managed by Coventry City Council.” (Ref. 2)
"Coventry City Council and Coventry University have worked in collaboration to deliver a joint package of highway and public realm improvements. The nine month £5 million programme is 50% funded by European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) grant and 50% from Coventry University" (Ref. 3)

Co-finance for NBS

Yes

Co-financing governance arrangements

Unknown

Was this co-governance arrangement already in place, or was it set up specifically for this NBS?

Set up specifically for this NBS

Financing

Total cost

More than €4,000,000

What is/was the Cost/Budget (EUR) of the NBS or green infrastructure elements?

Unknown

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

Unknown

Please specify total cost (EUR)

A £5 million (around 5.7 million EUR) programme: 50% is funded by European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) grant and 50% from Coventry University. (Ref. 2, 3, 5)

Source(s) of funding

EU funds

Other

Please specify other source of funding

50% is funded from Coventry University. (Ref. 3)

Type of fund(s) used

Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities)

Non-financial contribution

Unknown

Please specify other Business model

Business models

Green densification model

Which of the involved actors was motivated by this model?

Public actor (e.g. municipality)

5. Innovation

Type of innovation

Social

Cultural innovation

Novelty level of the innovation

The innovation is copied/derived from previous initiative(s) with substantial adaptation

Please specify novelty level of the innovation

The project is phase 3 of Coventry City Council's 'Public Realm Scheme', where all schemes incorporate trees and grass in response to repeated calls for more greenery in the city centre. (Ref. 5)

Replicability/Transferability

The innovation is transferred to new initiative(s) with substantial adaptation

Please specify Replicability/Transferability

Following on from the success of the Gosford Street scheme, “Coventry University have committed match funding to transform the area between the Ring Road and the William Morris Building and underneath the flyover to create a campus fit for a modern successful University.” (Ref. 5)

6. Evaluation and learning

Impacts, benefits

Environmental impacts

Climate change

Reduced emissions

Environmental quality

Improved air quality

Green space and habitat

Increased green space area

Description of environmental benefits

"Work included new planted trees, and landscape areas as well as an enlarged and improved pond." (Ref. 1-4)
Also, the intervention has contributed to reduced emissions and improved air quality. (Ref. 4)

Economic impacts

Unknown

Description of economic benefits

Unknown

Type of reported impacts

Achieved impacts

Indicators

New trees planted, a landscape area and enlarged/improved pond. (Ref. 1, 2)
Also, the intervention has contributed with reduced emissions, and improved air quality. (Ref. 4)

Environmental, social and economic impacts

Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)

Environmental quality

Health and well-being (SDG 3)

Analysis of specific impact categories

Job creation: The NBS created ...

No information available

Environmental justice: The implementation of the NBS project resulted in ...

Improved access to green and/or blue spaces

Please specify other method used to evaluate the impacts of NBS

Unknown, but each project will undertake an Equality Impact Assessment as part of project development and impact. (Ref. 5)

Negative impacts: Did the project cause any problems or concerns?

No information was found regarding negative impacts of the project

COVID-19 pandemic

Unknown as of 26 August 2020

Methods of impact monitoring

Process of recording NBS impacts

No evidence in public records

Methods used to evaluate the impacts of NBS

Observation (including virtual surveillance methods)

Unknown

Evidence for use of assessment

Presence of an assessment, evaluation and/or monitoring process

Yes

Presence of indicators used in reporting

Yes

Presence of monitoring/evaluation reports

Yes

Link to monitoring/evaluation reports

https://edemocracy.coventry.gov.uk/documents/s19853/Public%20Realm%20Phase%203…

Availability of a web-based monitoring tool

Impact assessment mechanism

Name of any specific impact assessment tools

Each project will undertake an Equality Impact Assessment as part of project development and impact. (Ref. 5)

Link to the output of assessments

https://edemocracy.coventry.gov.uk/documents/s19853/Public%20Realm%20Phase%203…

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

7. Sources

References

Web links relevant to the intervention

Documents relevant to the intervention

Attachment	Size
Ref. 5 (535.28 KB)	535.28 KB
Ref. 7 (1.74 MB)	1.74 MB

List of references

Ref. 1. Coventry City Council (n.d.) Gosford Gate. Completed improvement works. Available at: https://www.coventry.gov.uk/info/113/regeneration/1751/completed_improvement_works/17 [Accessed: 26 August 2020].
Ref. 2. Coventry City Council (2015) Major project improves area. [Not available in 2020].
Ref. 3. Coventry City Council (n.d.) Gosford Street Coventry University. Completed improvement works. Available at: https://www.coventry.gov.uk/info/113/regeneration/1751/completed_improvement_works/3 [Accessed: 26 August 2020].
Ref. 4. Coventry City Council (n.d.) Coventry City Council: Public realm scheme. [Not available in 2020].
Ref. 5. Coventry City Council (2014) Public Report. Cabinet Report. Public realm phase 3. [Document provided].
Ref. 6. CWLEP (2017) Sustainable Techniques for Refurbishment and Construction. Available at: https://www.cwlep.com/event/sustainable-techniques-refurbishment-and-construction [Accessed: 26 August 2020].
Ref. 7. Coventry City Council (2015) Public Report. Cabinet Report. Public realm phase 3 extension (3a). [Document provided].

Comments and notes

Public Images

Source: Ref. 3

Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/coventrycc/albums/72157664121971480/with/24746826980/

Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/coventrycc/albums/72157664121971480/with/24746826980/

Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/coventrycc/albums/72157664121971480/with/24746826980/

Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/coventrycc/albums/72157664121971480/with/24746826980/