Great green infrastructure helps us embrace the potential of growth to improve the health and quality of life of residents, to reduce inequalities, expand the green infrastructure network and green the urban area.

This will be particularly important given the levels of growth associated with the housing and employment needs across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole and the lack of land that is available to create new areas of green space. Urban Greening supports the ‘good growth’ concept and contributes to our aspirations for better placemaking, biodiversity net gain and addressing the climate and ecological emergency.

When considering developing within Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole it’s important to understand existing and potential green infrastructure in the area as well as environmental challenges urban greening can help to address.

Green infrastructure focus maps

For a better understanding of these challenges, green infrastructure focus maps are provided so that architects, master planners and landscape designers can take account of local environmental factors that will be relevant to good design.

Urban Greening Design Guide

The guide aims to provide practical, evidence based advice on how to plan and design high quality urban greening within new developments in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole.

It can also be a source of information and inspiration for those involved in the design and management of the public realm, amenity spaces and other areas that include features such as street trees and rain gardens. There are useful example projects in section 7. The summary should be read alongside the complete guide.

Tree and plant list for development sites

A list of recommended tree and plant species is provided for guidance. This list is recommended by us because the species are beneficial in addressing nature decline in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole and the UK as a whole.

The list is not exhaustive and there will be other plants that are particularly suited to an area or that confer other ecosystem benefits. The principal driver in tree and plant selection decisions should relate to the species’ ability to thrive on the chosen site. The overwhelming majority of benefits imparted on communities by trees and plants relies on them performing well in the landscape.

Download the tree and plant list for development sites.