About Us

Urban green spaces provide a physical structure within a city as well as a protective function that help cities to demonstrate and embody these qualities. Therefore we can think of urban green spaces as the RIBS of our cities and towns.

In the same way that an animal’s ribs provide structural support for their muscles, as well as protection for delicate organs such as hearts and lungs, green spaces in cities can play similar roles in supporting and protecting our cities.

Why are green spaces important for future cities?

Green spaces can provide structural support for cities through their physical distribution across urban landscapes, as anchor points for connecting people with nature, and for connecting water, soil and air to create spaces for plants, animals, invertebrates and microbes to live. They also provide protection through the creation of “safe” spaces for biodiversity and other nature-based systems, and moderate the local environment through cooling effects, cleaner air, and “softer” places for people and nature to co-inhabit. As such, urban green spaces play a critical role in framing how our cities will respond to future challenges.

The Urban Green Spaces Research Group is dedicated to developing a deeper understanding of the role that urban green spaces play in future cities, and how we can combine the best of human endeavor with the strength and fragility of nature to create cities that capture and reflect the fullest potential of both. Our ultimate goal is to Anchor Urban Green Space in City Frameworks.

To find out more, check out the Projects that the People in our team work on or Contact Us to Find out more!