The aim of the Urban Regeneration and Greenspace Partnership (URGP) is to provide information on maximising the benefits of green infrastructure (GI) to community groups, local authorities, planners, developers, researchers and non-government organisations.

Objectives

The Partnership’s objectives are to:

• Provide a facility within the Urban Regeneration and Greenspace Partnership website that enables individuals, community groups and local councils to promote their greenspace initiatives, events and examples of best practice
• Promote the benefits of greenspace and green infrastructure
• Disseminate best practice, case studies and evidence notes on greenspace establishment and management
• Create an URGP database and a network of research, monitoring and evaluation sites covering local to national spatial scales
• Provide a GI knowledge hub to aid knowledge transfer and the dissemination of evidence on the benefits of GI
• Identify knowledge gaps and research and dissemination priorities
• Develop a common research strategy across all stakeholders
• Build a collaborative research programme based on the findings from the above, which also determines the ecosystem services provided by GI
• Provide information on the partners’ specialist activities related to GI.

Partners

Forest Research coordinates the activities of the Urban Regeneration and Greenspace Partnership. The founding members of the partnership include:

• Forest Research
• Forestry Commission
• Homes & Communities Agency
• Defra
• Natural England
• Communities and Local Government

What is green infrastructure?

Infrastructure is the basic structures and facilities that are necessary for the efficient functioning of a geographical area. Green infrastructure is the network of different types of green spaces which together enable delivery of multiple benefits as goods and services.

What is greenspace?

Greenspace, or green spaces, are any vegetated areas of land or water within or adjoining an urban area.

Green infrastructure includes parks and gardens, semi-natural and natural urban green spaces, green corridors, outdoor sports facilities, amenity green space, allotments, community gardens, and city farms, cemeteries and churchyards, accessible countryside fringing urban areas, and civic spaces. Green infrastructure also includes some aspects of marine and aquatic environments (termed blue infrastructure) such as rivers, ponds, and sustainable urban drainage systems (SUDS).

Partnership resources

Please follow the links below or in the menu on the right-hand side to access the partnership resources.

• Types of greenspace
• Benefits of greenspace
• Planning integrated landscapes
• Establishment practices
• Practical considerations and challenges
• Greenspace initiatives
• Best practice, evidence, and case studies