Artikel door Liselot
From September 2023 to February 2024, I participated in an exchange program at the University of Sheffield in England. I took three courses at the Faculty of Landscape Architecture. During these courses, I learned how minimal interventions and working with natural processes can be used to create climate-adaptive and biodiverse spaces.
But first, a bit about Sheffield. It might not be the first city that comes to mind when you think of England, but it is an interesting place. Sheffield is located in South Yorkshire, right next to Manchester. Among some, it is known for football, the Arctic Monkeys, and Henderson’s Relish. It is also a classic example of an industrial city. In the 15th century, it was already recognized for its cutlery production, and with the invention of cast steel in the 18th century, Sheffield became known as the 'Steel City.' It’s no coincidence that steel production took off here, due to the natural resources available. Several rivers converge in Sheffield, including the Sheaf, which is also the origin of the city’s name. The combination of hydropower and the availability of raw materials made the city a suitable location for steel production. Today, only one steel factory remains operational, but many places in the city still remind you of its history. Besides its industrial side, Sheffield also boasts a green aspect. It holds the title of the 'greenest city in the United Kingdom,' with an average of seven trees per resident. The city has many parks and green infrastructure. One example is the 'from grey to green scheme,' aimed at adding more green infrastructure to the rather grey city center and improving the relationship between water and the city. Sheffield is also green because a third of the Peak District, England’s first national park, falls within the city limits. The availability and accessibility of parks and green spaces are among the things I really appreciated about Sheffield, especially further from the center, where the city is very green.
The Faculty of Landscape Architecture is located in the Arts Tower, which, with its 22 floors, is one of the tallest buildings in the city. The faculty is known for the 'Sheffield School' of planting design. This approach shifts the focus of planting from an aesthetic and decorative function to an ecological and sustainable function, similar to what we are accustomed to in Wageningen. This means working with designed plant communities that function similarly to natural plant communities. The emphasis is often on local or native species that can sustain themselves and require little maintenance.
The course 'Green Infrastructures and Ecological Masterplanning' revolved around this approach. The assignment was to design a park next to a children's science museum, fittingly located in an old steel factory. Through this course, I became familiar with the term 'brownfield ecology.' The city has many vacant or brownfield sites. These sites are often seen as worthless, just waiting for something to be done with them. They typically contain sand, stone, or concrete, and sometimes new materials are dumped there. When these areas are left vacant for long enough, plants from the surrounding environment will naturally begin to grow there. Due to the hard, nutrient-poor substrates, full sun, and wind that has free play, these places provide an excellent habitat for pioneer vegetation. Small differences in microclimate, such as substrate or elevation leading to wetter or drier conditions, or shaded versus sunny sides, can attract different plant species that occupy slightly different niches, leading to natural patterns in these landscapes.
A 'brownfield meadow' at the Sheffield business park.
The variation in vegetation found in these places supports many insects. Additionally, these sites often remain undisturbed for extended periods, allowing insects to spend multiple phases of their life cycles there. The lack of maintenance also leaves important resources like dead wood. This raises the question of where species that benefit from these types of sites go when their function changes. Is it possible to apply the same principles in landscape design, for example, for a park? By using nutrient-poor substrates, small elevation changes, and nesting sites for insects, can we create a beautiful design and a pleasant space for people as well? One person who works with these principles is John Little. I went on a site visit to his garden in Hilldrop, where he uses substrates like bricks, ceramics, and sand, along with insect hotels and dead wood, to create different microclimates.
John Little's garden in Hilldrop.
Additionally, there are other places in a city where these principles can be excellently applied, such as on rooftops.
What can be derived from this is that minimal or even no interventions can sometimes yield the desired ecological results. Moreover, these areas require little maintenance since the system regulates itself. However, there will come a time when it’s necessary to consider what happens when these places become too 'full' and niche habitats are lost under shrubs and eventually trees. Overall, this is an interesting and relevant topic to think about when designing for biodiversity in the city. After all, climate-adaptive green spaces with ecological functions that require little maintenance sound like a great way to bring nature into the city.
My friends and me in the Arts Tower
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