Our Blueprint

Addressing Climate Change

Contributing to Net Zero targets and helping the region adapt to the impacts of climate change

Nature Positive Places

Reversing natures decline and giving people the chance to experience nature locally

Local Living

Helping people travel sustainably and providing local opportunities for recreation

Green Network framework

The Blueprint is a framework for the creation of a strategic Green Network across Glasgow City Region and incorporates the two fundamental functions of a Green Network:

Strategic Access Network - facilitating the off-road movement of people around and between communities
Strategic Habitat Network - facilitating the movement of wildlife through the landscape

The Blueprint identifies for both Networks:

existing assets that should be protected and managed
where there are gaps in the networks
opportunities to address those gaps

Our Blueprint

The Blueprint will help to target resources and effort effectively, creating and enhancing the right Green Network component in the right place for most benefit.

Access network

The Strategic Access Network is made up of more than 200 routes totalling over 500 miles. Around 60% can currently be classed as “Greenways” (walking, cycling and wheeling routes away from roads), although many would benefit from enhancement. The Blueprint identifies opportunities to improve existing routes and address the remaining 40%.

Habitat Network

Over 40% of our region is comprised of wildlife habitat however, due to the extent of urban areas and agriculture these habitats are not well connected. This makes it difficult for wildlife to move through the landscape in search of food, to breed and to escape further habitat loss. The Blueprint identifies nearly 800 targeted opportunities to connect up habitat patches, helping reverse biodivesity decline

Delivery

The scale and ambition of the Blueprint mean that partnership working and securing new resources are critical to success. We are working with a range of public, private and third sector organisations to bring the necessary expertise, capacity and funding to the region that will support delivery.

We will also need to employ a variety of delivery mechanisms. These can be categorised as:

Planned Development – where new development delivers Green Network components
Public Sector Programmes – where existing budgets are targeted for Green Network enhancement
Infrastructure Investment – delivering the Green Network through grey infrastructure projects
Funding Opportunities – ensuring a pipeline of Green Network projects are ready when funding opportunities arise