The nature of Manchester: Local Action Project

In 2017, the City of Manchester become one of the 22 ‘Citylab’ study cities being undertaken across Europe as part of the European Commission Joint Research Centre (JRC)-funded EnRoute Project. The EnRoute (enhancing the resilience of urban ecosystems through green infrastructure) Project forms a key element of the research programme being delivered to support the EU Biodiversity Strategy and the EU Green Infrastructure Strategy. The project has allowed Manchester City Council to refine and expand the knowledge of urban ecosystem services, and to present it in a focussed, new and accessible way, that is both engaging and informative. It builds on the success and understanding of the Defra Local Action Project and applies the learning to a local, city geography, with the ability to drill down to neighbourhood- and ward-level appraisal. The EnRoute CityLab has also allowed the Manchester City Council to customise the Local Action Project benefits wheels; applying locally significant priorities to give a truer picture of the function and value of nature in Manchester.