Birmingam City Council is committed to transforming Birmingham into a leading green city, with ambitious targets to increase green spaces, active travel routes, and reduce pollution. Recognising the importance of urban greening in achieving net-zero targets, and incorporating it into major development proposals.
Policies
Birmingham City Council has actively applied Natural England’s Green Infrastructure Framework in shaping its planning, investment, and delivery of naturebased solutions, using the mapping database and green infrastructure standards to identify areas of environmental injustice—where access to nature is low and climate risks are high. This evidence-based approach has guided the creation of new green spaces, and supported initiatives like the City of Nature Alliance, which brings together community groups to deliver joined-up green infrastructure projects.
Successful adoption of the framework has not been without challenges. While it provided clear standards and mapping tools to support strategic planning, limited staff capacity and cross-department coordination certainly posed hurdles. Despite these constraints, the council has successfully embedded the framework into its green infrastructure strategies, helping guide investment and community engagement.
The process
It’s an exciting time for Birmingham City Council, with several flagship urban greening projects, and more set to come through the pipeline, expanding access to green spaces, embedding nature into urban design, and tackling environmental injustice. Over the next 25 years, Birmingham plans to increase publicly accessible greenspaces from 600 to 1,000, ensuring every ward has a community garden, and empowering residents through green jobs, education, and stewardship initiatives. The city’s vision blends climate resilience, biodiversity, and inclusive placemaking to build a healthier, greener city. This vision resulted in Birmingham becoming the UK’s first accredited Nature City through Nature Towns and Cities, a UK-wide initiative led by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, the National Trust, and Natural England.
Birmingham already has some superb examples of green roofs. For example, the roof garden at the Library of Birmingham has two elevated garden terraces open to the public. Planted with a variety of species to provide colour and interest throughout the year, and a Discovery Terrace that includes fruit, vegetables and herbs, where visitors can learn about where food comes from and be inspired to ‘grow your own.’ There are other examples at the University of Birmingham, where researchers are working on green roofs that mimic natural habitats, and at Star City, where Lightweight Expanded Clay Aggregate has been used to create a rooftop football centre that demonstrates the use of lightweight materials and the potential of green roofs to be integrated into urban environments.
One of the most exciting housing developments in Birmingham is the Smithfield Regeneration Project, a £1.9 billion transformation of a 17-hectare urban site. Delivered by Lendlease in partnership with Birmingham City Council, the scheme will create over 3,000 new homes, alongside a new market district, cultural venues, retail and leisure spaces, and a network of public squares and green corridors. Designed with walkability, biodiversity, and inclusive placemaking in mind, Smithfield is set to become a vibrant civic and cultural heart for the city. The development will feature pedestrian-first streets, dedicated cycle routes, and green corridors that connect homes to public spaces, markets, and transport hubs. Located in the city centre, Smithfield aims to reduce car dependency by integrating walking, cycling, and public transport into everyday life—creating a healthier, more connected city centre.
Selected projects update
It’s an exciting time for Birmingham City Council, with several flagship urban greening projects, and more set to come through the pipeline, expanding access to green spaces, embedding nature into urban design, and tackling environmental injustice. Over the next 25 years, Birmingham plans to increase publicly accessible greenspaces from 600 to 1,000, ensuring every ward has a community garden, and empowering residents through green jobs, education, and stewardship initiatives. The city’s vision blends climate resilience, biodiversity, and inclusive placemaking to build a healthier, greener city. This vision resulted in Birmingham becoming the UK’s first accredited Nature City through Nature Towns and Cities, a UK-wide initiative led by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, the National Trust, and Natural England
Birmingham already has some superb examples of green roofs. For example, the roof garden at the Library of Birmingham has two elevated garden terraces open to the public. Planted with a variety of species to provide colour and interest throughout the year, and a Discovery Terrace that includes fruit, vegetables and herbs, where visitors can learn about where food comes from and be inspired to ‘grow your own.’ There are other examples at the University of Birmingham, where researchers are working on green roofs that mimic natural habitats, and at Star City, where Lightweight Expanded Clay Aggregate has been used to create a rooftop football centre that demonstrates the use of lightweight materials and the potential of green roofs to be integrated into urban environments.
One of the most exciting housing developments in Birmingham is the Smithfield Regeneration Project, a £1.9 billion transformation of a 17-hectare urban site. Delivered by Lendlease in partnership with Birmingham City Council, the scheme will create over 3,000 new homes, alongside a new market district, cultural venues, retail and leisure spaces, and a network of public squares and green corridors. Designed with walkability, biodiversity, and inclusive placemaking in mind, Smithfield is set to become a vibrant civic and cultural heart for the city. The development will feature pedestrian-first streets, dedicated cycle routes, and green corridors that connect homes to public spaces, markets, and transport hubs. Located in the city centre, Smithfield aims to reduce car dependency by integrating walking, cycling, and public transport into everyday life—creating a healthier, more connected city centre.
Another high-profile housing development in Camp Hill Gardens, led by Court Collaboration, an ambitious project delivering 500 new homes, including a mix of apartments and townhouses. Designed with green spaces and communal areas at its heart, Camp Hill Gardens is part of a wider regeneration of the area, aiming to create a vibrant, well-connected neighbourhood that supports sustainable living and improved infrastructure.
Requirements for sustainable drainage systems to be incorporated into all major developments will help manage surface water runoff and reduce flood risk. A great example is the Birmingham Municipal Housing Trust development in Northfield, which includes around 400 new homes designed with sustainability at the core. This project incorporates sustainable drainage features such as permeable paving, rain gardens, and soakaways to manage surface water runoff and reduce flood risk. These features not only support climate resilience but also enhance biodiversity and create greener, healthier living environments for residents.
The existing canal network also creates significant green space within the city, providing opportunities for recreation and wildlife, and creating green corridors that connect urban areas. Projects like the Canal & River Trust’s Green Recovery Challenge Fund are investing in urban greening improvements to the canal system, reconnecting fragmented habitats to support, for example, endangered species like Water Vole. Another project, the Big Lottery and Active Citizens Fund-funded Highbury Orchard Community in Highbury Park, is a vibrant, volunteer-led initiative, offering a unique learning environment for schools and provides a place for residents to connect, learn about tree planting and maintenance, and enjoy outdoor activities.