29 de Julio de 2014

Money-making schemes coming soon to a park near you – in pictures

From bee farms to digital maps: a new £1m project called Rethinking Parks is helping councils and communities find new ways to cash in on UK public spaces.

The Guardian - (Reino Unido) [Crónica]

1. Bee farms and firewood in Burnley: The council will be working with social enterprise groups and community volunteers to test horticulture approaches to making money – such as introducing bee farms, producing starflower oil and managing woodland for fuel. Photograph: Go to the Park, Burnley.

2. New uses for forgotten buildings in Dagenham: Council workers from the London borough of Barking and Dagenham will be relocated to unused buildings within Eastbrookend Country Park. Photograph: Eastbrookend Rekindled.

3. Community management in Liverpool: The council is transferring ownership of Everton Park to the Land Trust, enabling the local community to have a say in how it is managed and maintained. Photograph: Everton Park.

4. Corporate giving in Darlington: The council alongside local charities will explore how corporate giving can sustain local parks. They will encourage donation of skills, as well as money, on an ongoing basis from companies that want to give back to their communities. Photograph: Darlington Parks Improvement District.

5. Smartphone donations in Bournemouth: The council will create a foundation for its public parks to test the financial potential of public giving. They want to explore opportunities for real-time giving via smartphones and other digital technologies. Photograph: Coastal Parks and Garden Foundation.

6. Digital maps in Edinburgh and Glasgow: The city councils are working with Greenspace Scotland to build on existing technologies, including a digital map that helps people discover heritage and culture in their parks. Photograph: My Park Scotland.

7. Ecosystem services in Sheffield and Manchester: The National Trust will work with local authorities to develop an endowment model for public parks. The project will explore how to raise money through donations, public health and ecosystem services such as flood management and biodiversity. Photograph: Sheffield city council.

8. Pop-up meeting spaces in Hackney: The council, charity Groundwork London and architecture firm Gensler want to develop new services, such as pop-up meeting spaces, for local businesses across Hackney's parks. Photograph: Park Hack.

9. Job opportunities in Bristol: The Bristol Parks Forum and the council will offer horticultural training for low-skilled people without full-time employment. This will provide routes into employment, while improving maintenance of Bristol's parks. Photograph: ParkWork, Bristol.