Greenkeeper is an online tool designed to support planning and investment decisions around green infrastructure in cities across the UK
Big data on visit patterns and characteristics, combined with new evidence on the social, economic and environmental benefits of green infrastructure supports planners and developers on how outcomes for residents can be optimised under tight budgets.Using the latest health research and economic valuation methods, we provide a better understanding of the contribution any urban park or portfolio of parks make to health, wellbeing, air quality, carbon sequestration, and many other aspects of urban life. We model how potential interventions may enhance or reduce the benefits delivered, providing robust evidence for outcome-focused investment and management decisions.
Green infrastructure, from parks and gardens to street trees and green roofs, is vitally important for our quality of life and health in cities
It can support recreation, health and wellbeing. Only when we are able to quantify these services, we can move away from minimising costs and towards maximising benefits. Moving forward, this enables us to ensure green infrastructure is protected and enhanced by new development, supporting urban growth and intensification. Using the economic analysis and valuation skills of Vivid Economics, the health and wellbeing expertise of the European Centre for Environment and Human Health and the understanding of the planning and design process brought by Barton Willmore, Greenkeeper uses newly available datasets, technologies and insights to assess current performance and opportunities for any urban greenspace in the UK. Greenkeeper lets local authorities, private developers and investors assess green infrastructure’s contribution to urban life; benchmark green infrastructure quality, visits and benefits and assess spaces within a portfolio; inform wider planning, design, management and investment decisions; consider and compare the impact of specific interventions; and test the contribution of new greenspace as part of a proposed development. Greenkeeper supports local authorities, park managers, property developers, investors and others involved in city building with timely and robust data and analysis, which is cheaper, more accessible and more relevant than current approaches or tools available.
To find out more about Greenkeeper click here.