Urban greening snakes and ladders: A case study of the practical realities of implementing food-water-energy nexus projects in Southend-on-Sea, UK

Rumble, Heather; Brown, Julia

Abstract

As the CRUNCH project launched in April 2018, Southend-on-Sea (SoS) presented as an exciting location to test innovative nature-based nexus solutions. The proposed Urban Living Lab (ULL) location was part of the urban regeneration plan for the town centre, specifically the High Street and its immediate environ, which funnels 6 million visitors to the seafront esplanade and world-famous leisure pier. In order to address future climate impacts, of flooding, drought and heat stress in the Borough, Southend Borough Council (SBC) recognised it needs to deploy more urban greenery across its landscape to benefit public health for both residents and visitors. Many of the aforementioned challenges, notably flooding and heat stress, in the proposed ULL were exacerbated by urban design. As with many similarly sized urban areas across the UK, Southend saw its town centre redeveloped in the 1960s, replacing original historical buildings with more functional mid-century architecture. The form of urban development, with widespread use of impermeable surfaces and reliance on grey infrastructure and minimal greening has radically transformed the urban landscape interrupting the natural hydrological cycle, contributing to flash flooding, and summer heat stress. SBC commissioned a consultative future scoping project, Vision 2050, that provides a clear road map for the council to align its programming. In the scoping, participating residents raised concerns over the condition of the High Street, quality of roads and pavement and had aspirations for the town centre and its public spaces to be “clean, attractive and thriving”. The consultative process highlighted strong support for environmental issues and a clear commitment to “reimagining our High Street” is made1.

• Publication Date: Jul 27, 2022
• Deposit Date: Apr 12, 2023
• Publicly Available Date: Jan 28, 2024
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis (Routledge)
• Book Title: Designing Sustainable and Resilient Cities
• Chapter Number: Part 2, Chapter 3
• ISBN: 9780367631987; 9780367631970
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/10479745
• Publisher URL: https://www.routledge.com/Designing-Sustainable-and-Resilient-Cities-Small-Interventions-for-Stronger/Melis-Brown-Coulter/p/book/9780367631970