“By 2025 high quality, well maintained green and blue spaces will be an integral part of all neighbourhoods. The city’s communities will be living healthy, fulfilled lives, enjoying access to parks and greenspaces and safe green routes for walking, cycling and exercise throughout the city. Green and blue infrastructure will be supporting Manchester’s growth. Businesses will be investing in areas with a high environmental quality and attractive surroundings, enjoying access to a healthy, talented workforce. New funding models will be in place, ensuring progress achieved by 2025 can be sustained and provide the platform for ongoing investment in the years to follow.”
That’s Manchester’s vision for its green spaces and waterways which will be debated this morning at the City Counvil’s Executive Committee.
The so called Green and Blue infrastructure is part of the the Manchester Strategy, setting out how the city will continue to evolve and grow over the next ten years.
“The 21st century can’t simply be the age of the city, it has to be the age of the sustainable, liveable city” writes Council leader Sir Richard Leese in the introduction to the document.
As patt of the exercise, the city’s Green Infrastructure has been mapped and the report sets out sguidelines for the management of the city’s 160 parks, as well private gardens, rivers and canals.
The report sets out the key strategies for the city.
Our river valleys are well managed, accessible and safe – providing a key recreational resource to residents.
• Our canal network is rejuvenated as a key asset for the city centre and beyond.
• Our parks and green spaces are attractive and accessible to residents.
• Our networks of urban green connect more residents with urban nature
and provide corridors and stepping stones for biodiversity
• Our green spaces work harder, providing multiple social, economic and
environmental benefits to the city.
• Our growth is supported by green and blue infrastructure, as a key part of creating attractive, successful neighbourhoods.
As the executive summary concludes:
The 21st century can’t simply be the age of the city, it has to be the age of the sustainable, liveable city. The Manchester Strategy will set out the city’s part in helping to drive
this shifting global paradigm to 2025; with investment in our green and blue spaces very much part of it.
