Overview The Green Infrastructure Areas for the Black Country (GIBC) data identifies green infrastructure, green infrastructure function (or ecosystem service) and pinch point mapping for the Black Country area which includes Wolverhampton, Walsall, Sandwell and Dudley. The analysis was carried out in two stages and as a result of this, four datasets were produced: ‘GIBC 01 - Typology & Functionality OS’ ‘GIBC 02 – Pinch Points OS’ ‘GIBC 03 – Pinch Points Consortium Housing’ ‘GIBC 04 – Pinch Points Housing Land Availability’ First Stage Processing Ordnance Survey data was used as the base layer for all the processing. The first process produced the ‘GIBC 01 - Typology & Functionality OS’ dataset. This dataset is then subsequently used as a basis for the production of the second, third and fourth datasets during the second stage. In the first stage each OS polygon was assigned a green infrastructure category based on the SPADES project from the list below.
Green Infrastructure Categories are: Garden Green corridor Pocket park Park or garden Outdoor sports facility Children’s play space Youth area Broadleaved woodland Mixed woodland Coniferous woodland Natural and semi-natural open spaces Pasture or meadow Wetland Watercourse Fresh water body Allotments Orchard Cemetery or churchyard Open space around premises Agricultural land Road island/verge Railway corridor Abandoned, ruderal and derelict area The OS polygon was then assigned “A function beneficial to people” dependent on the Green Infrastructure Category already assigned. The 26 categories that perform a “function beneficial to people” are: Accessible water storage Carbon storage Community cohesion Connection with local environment Corridor for wildlife Culture Encouraging green travel Evaporative cooling Flow reduction through surface roughness Habitat for wildlife Heritage Inaccessible water storage Learning Local food production Pollination Pollutant removal from soil/water Providing jobs Recreation - private Recreation - public Recreation - public with restrictions Shading from the sun Trapping air pollutants Visual contribution to landscape character Water conveyance Water infiltration Water interception In its simplest form the process flow looks like this: OS base layer → assigned green infrastructure → assigned function (Eg - OS polygon → coniferous woodland → shading from the sun) The first dataset, ‘GIBC 01 - Typology & Functionality OS’, therefore shows the following: The green infrastructure category The function beneficial to people Shows areas of greatest need for this function. Shows areas whereby the function has been met. Shows areas whereby the function has not been met. Second Stage Processing The second stage expands on the first by establishing which areas suffer from stress associated with investment in growth and redevelopment of land. These areas are known as ‘pinch points’. Wherever there is a high level of need for a particular function (identified in the first process), a potential ‘pinch point’ exists. The pinch point categories that have been identified are: Air Quality Pinch Culture Pinch Flooding Pinch Heat Stress Pinch Heritage Pinch Local Community Pinch Mental Health Pinch Nature Pinch Physical Activity Pinch Recreation Pinch Sustainable Travel Pinch The second dataset, ‘GIBC 02 – Pinch Points OS’, takes the analysis from the first stage process and using the Ordnance Survey data as a base layer, displays the ‘pinch points’ analysis results. The third dataset, ‘GIBC 03 – Pinch Points Consortium Housing’, takes the analysis from the first stage process and rather than using the OS as a base uses the Consortium Housing Site data instead to display ‘pinch points’. The fourth dataset, ‘GIBC 04 – Pinch Points Housing Land Availability’, takes the analysis from the first stage process and rather than using the OS as a base used the Strategic Housing Land Availability data instead to display ‘pinch points’. Conclusion The ‘pinch point’ mapping can help identify particular areas of stress, which when used in conjunction with the green infrastructure and function mapping from the first stage process can be used to help alleviate those stresses.