
West Midlands National Park Lab
Our ethos
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1. prioritising quality of life and quality of the environment | – improving access to nature for physical, social or mental well-being. – improving access to education, social networks and the creation of safe neighbourhoods. – improving biodiversity, clean air, clean water or social engagement. – spatial and social justice, identity and self-confidence. |
2. seeing the bigger picture by collaborating and crossing boundaries and silos | – working beyond ‘red line’ boundaries to understand the bigger picture, spatially and visually. – working across institutional silos, disciplines or sectors, reflected in aspirations, measurable outcomes, innovative governance and financial models. – convincing responses to international and regional commitments. |
3. strengthening the connection between policy and practice in finance and governance | – clear connections between policy and practice, made evident through integrated measures of planning, performance and efficacy. -demonstrable evidence of an embedded culture, fiscal structure or governance that supports the WMNP ethos. – demonstrable evidence of collaborative working and governance (shared risks, costs and benefits) attaining more than the sum of the parts. |
4. environmentally and culturally productive use and care of all landscape resources | -landscape-led approach valuing all aspects of the land as a cultural, social and physical resource. – conserving the region’s natural beauty, wildlife and cultural heritage. – promoting the understanding and enjoyment of the region’s special qualities by the public. – provision and implementation of car-free development. |
5. use of expertise to re-imagine the landscape | – demonstration of high-quality, radical thinking and persuasive ideas to reimagine the landscape to engage local communities in their territories. – spatial visions, concepts and the expert expression of ideas at all scales. – design excellence, creativity and artistic sensibility. |
6. supporting community pride, confidence and health | – increasing a community’s sense of pride and identity with their place. – improving community engagement and cohesion, especially around aspects of land, access, nature and health. – using the landscape and nature to engage and support newly-arrived communities. – collaborative approaches to create socially equitable environments. |
7. learning from local and traditional knowledge | – recording and disseminating traditional and local knowledge, especially in relation to skills, crafts, expertise and place. – providing access to high-quality training and employment in local or regional craft or industry. – (re)engagement with land-based knowledge, e.g. river systems, woodland management, agriculture or metal working. |
8. creating environmental and community resilience through landscape-based culture, identity, stewardship and replenishment | – contributions that grow the local economy and stimulate high-quality sustainable employment supported by education and training. – promotion of new and traditional land-based skills in support of urban farming / agriculture, rewilding and a circular economy. – engaging with young people to support the WMNP ethos. – transforming existing processes with sustainable technology. |
9. engaging all communities in the climate agenda, focused on transformative action | – initiatives that are clearly based on a perspective of sustainability, resilience and the need to meet zero carbon targets. – the use of nature-based solutions to repair contaminated land, water and other aspects of the biosphere (e.g. brownfield development). – engagement of young people in transformative action to tackle the climate emergency. |