In 2006 we were commissioned by the West Midlands Regional Assembly to develop a framework of indicators to monitor urban and rural renaissance in the West Midlands.
We then analysed these indicators to produce a detailed report on progress against urban and rural renaissance. The report (pdf, 1.5mb) was formally launched on 7 June 2006.
To update these findings, we write a chapter on rural and urban renaissance each year. These chapters are included in the West Midlands Leaders Board annual monitoring reports.
Indicator set
Since urban and rural renaissance are shared priorities across the different regional strategies, the indicator set cuts across strategy boundaries. Wherever possible, indicators are provided at Local Authority level and analysed using the Local Authority Urban or Rural Classification (2005).
Individually, the evidence from these indicators is unlikely to provide a clear indication of progress towards urban and rural renaissance, but taken together they will provide a better understanding of progress, and should highlight some of the region's strengths and weaknesses. Indicators typically reflect issues which cannot be characterised as the output of any one strategy, but rather the cumulative effect of strategy interventions.
New environmental datasets
Several new datasets were identified during this project, which assisted in developing a stronger set of environmental indicators.
The generalised land use database for England 2005 (GLUD) greatly enhances our knowledge of green space availability at local authority level. This data is derived from the OS MasterMap product. Census Ward level data is also available, providing an even finer level of detail.
GLUD data are experimental, forming part of a range of initiatives aimed at improving information about how land is currently used.
The statistics are provided for all of England as at 2001 and are produced by the Department for Communities and Local Government on behalf of the Office for National Statistics' Neighbourhood Statistics service, and were published in February 2005.
They show the distribution of land use across nine simplified categories and provide a basis for comparing, for example, the availability of greenspace between similarly defined administrative areas.
Definition of green space
The GLUD definition of greenspace is inclusive, capturing a lot of different types of greenspace, but it excludes domestic gardens.
The full National Land Use Database provides data on more detailed land use and land cover when the project is completed. However, GLUD is based on the methodology used in the more detailed NLUD project and provides a good short-term response to demand for land use information at the local and neighbourhood level.
The green flag award scheme is a national standard for parks and green spaces in England and Wales. It is an annual peer review voluntary award scheme, and the Department for Communities and Local Government aims for the majority of local areas to have at least one quality green space by 2008, with a green flag award to prove it. Data is available on the number of awards within urban local authorities.
Other data on green space
The green flag awards data results directly from the scheme, while resident satisfaction with their green spaces data is from the Best Value Performance Indicator surveys, so both will be available as a time series.
Both are brought together in one place, alongside results from the National Audit Office survey of Local Authorities in 2005.
Analysis at a national level is presented in a National Audit Office report published March 2006, and reveals that the decline in quality of urban green space in England has been halted in most areas, and there are signs of recovery in many places. Urban green space includes urban squares, parks, green corridors and nature reserves.
Download the report
Published 30 May 2006
Contextual monitoring main report (PDF, 1.7mb)
Contextual monitoring data annex (indicators) (PDF, 3.26mb)
Contextual monitoring summary report (PDF, 0.8mb)