The Stocksbridge Case Study
A Methodology for community based environmental planning
The Stocksbridge Case Study
A Methodology for community based environmental planning
This is being tested through a Case Study in
1998-99 - progress so far can be viewed by looking at these
websites: STEP
Community Group - an example
of how two young graduates (planning and ecology), employed
directly by a community group, have started to develop an
outline Local Agenda 21 for the community to consider. They
have examined how the ideas about the scope of Local Agenda
21 (DETR and Local Authority) relate to the local
environmental conditions which they examined through using
the approach described here. Department
of Landscape, University of
Sheffield - an example of how
the approach described here enabled a small
multi-disciplinary group of post graduate students to start
to develop a local environmental planning strategy for
Stocksbridge. More detailed examples from the work of other
five groups taking part in this project will be added
later.
The aims of the project:
1. to examine the role of the existing areas of suburban development in the present levels of sustainability in Stocksbridge: through carrying out a preliminary environmental audit of the District and evaluating those findings in relation to Sheffield's Agenda 21 objectives, as well as undertaking a limited social survey to establish whether local inhabitants are at present involved in "sustainability" actions and their present level of involvement with their community
2. to identify locally applicable regenerative actions in order to achieve greater sustainability in a suburban setting: through developing a database of information on possible environmental enhancements (water, waste, energy, biodiversity and transport projects) gleaned by examination of the literature and study visits to towns where regenerative design and actions are being implemented
3. to consider the potential scope for Stocksbridge's suburban areas to contribute to a more environmentally sustainable future: through developing a GIS of the present environmental characteristics which will allow the local community to better understand the present situation and the differences between the various sectors of the District, as well as address the relative effectiveness of their undertaking any of a range of regenerative planning and design solutions (as defined in 2 above) in particular parts of the District
4. to develop a first attempt at a community level Environmental Plan so as to work out how best to stimulate local action to enhance the level of sustainability in the existing suburban fabric.
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Outline of approach
Phase One - The Stocksbridge Sustainability Database
Note: this lists what is being done in 1998 - the logistics of working in a community group with unskilled staff prevent a full survey at present
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District-wide mapped record:
Urban Structure Zone (USZ) record
This diagram indicates the Urban Structure Zones (an OS map cannot be reproduced here for copyright reasons- the data from which this sketch is derived is held in the GIS against an accurate OS base map). The light green indicates just how extensive the "unsealed surfaces" - the area where plants can grow and water can percolate into the soil - is within a small area of suburban development.
Social characteristics record
Economic characteristics
Phase Two - Identifying the potential for Sustainability in Stocksbridge
Note: these evaluations are not based on any national or regional norms (which do not in any case seem to exist), rather they are undertaken with the aim of identifying the relative values across Stocksbridge.
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Factors to be investigated in the first instance:
1. The suburban garden and biodiversity
2. The house and suburban garden and local water management
3. The house and suburban garden and local waste management
4. Local travel patterns and sustainable use of transport
5. The house and suburban garden and local energy conservation
Phase Three - Describing appropriate regenerative land use and design solutions
To be undertaken by the STEP team in conjunction with postgraduate students from the Department of Landscape, University of Sheffield.
1. Literature searches
2. Case studies of projects undertaken elsewhere
Phase Four - Describing the potential for environmental change
This links the information gathered under Phases One and Two with the studies of the literature and work which has been implemented elsewhere under Phase Three.
1. Local links between energy consumption and built form2. Local links between energy consumption, aspect, slope and woodland shelter belts
3. Local journey to shops
4. Local journey to school
5. Local links between biodiversity and built form and land use
6. Local links between unsealed surface and potential for local water management
7. Local links between unsealed surface and potential for local waste management
Phase Five - Considering where it might be most effective to implement regenerative design solutions so as to improve local levels of environmental sustainability
To be undertaken by the STEP team in conjunction with postgraduate students from the Department of Landscape, University of Sheffield, in November 1998.
To be modified gradually into an agreed Local Agenda 21 strategy for Stocksbridge after intensive consultation with local community groups.
Note: the timescale for such work, undertaken by a community group, is difficult to determine - to a large extent it depends on local enthusiasm.
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updated 8 Dec 1998