Between 2018 and 2023 we took part in a European climate change adaptation project called ‘Nature Smart Cities across the 2 Seas’.
The project was part of the Interreg 2 Seas European Territorial Cooperation Programme. Its main aim was to enable local authorities to self-finance green infrastructure investments.
Seven cities, a regional association, and three academic institutions from the UK, France, the Netherlands, and Belgium were also involved.
Each city partner delivered a green infrastructure investment pilot project. Ours was the Cambridge Canopy project, an urban forest initiative. Through these pilots the Nature Smart Cities project partners developed a business model to support decision making processes for the incorporation of more green infrastructure solutions in towns and cities.
As part of the canopy project, we also launched the i-Tree Eco project and the Neighbourhood Canopy Campaign.
- Nature Smart Cities across the 2 Seas briefing note [PDF, 0.3MB]
- The Benefits of Urban Greening briefing note [PDF, 1MB] – an overview of the many benefits of increasing green space in cities
Cambridge Canopy Project
The Cambridge Canopy Project was our pilot project for the Nature Smart Cities across the 2 Seas project.
It aimed to increase tree canopy cover in the city, to help the city adapt to climate change. The project ran from September 2018 to March 2023. Our video shows what the project achieved:
Tree canopy cover is the name given to the layer of leaves and branches that cover the ground. It is measured as a percentage of the total area.
Forest Research reports the average tree canopy cover figure is 16% in England. Cambridge had around 17% tree canopy cover at the beginning of the project. We aimed to increase this to 19%, requiring more than 800,000m2 of new tree cover.
The project aimed to:
- develop standard approaches to tree planting, protection, and management, and to public engagement. This will complement and enhance our current arboricultural strategy
- develop tools to help us assess tree canopy cover, to support sustainable management and identify areas that need work
- contribute to and boost tree planting and tree protection, to help mitigate the projected impacts brought about by climate change
The project also aimed to show the value of investing in the urban forest as a form of green infrastructure.
The project’s legacy will help the city adapt to climate change. It will do this by increasing tree canopy cover and contributing to the sustainable management of the local urban forest.
