Whether they’re seeking comment on environmental permits or running sweeping calls for evidence on microplastics, Delib customers use Citizen Space to engage on the environment often – and the frequency is only increasing.
One trend I noticed on the Citizen Space Aggregator this week is biodiversity and habitat preservation. From entire forests to small, inner-city rivers, here are some customers running public engagement on biodiversity with their communities at the moment.
Bristol City Council
Bristol City Council is consulting on some proposed changes to the area of Bedninster Green, through which flows the River Malago. Part of the project involves building new homes in the area, and part of it involves the regeneration and restoration of the Malago – currently more of a sluggish stream if we’re honest – to improve biodiversity along the river path. They’re proposing narrowing the river bed in some places so that it flows faster, and creating floodable areas that would reduce the flood risk to surrounding buildings.
Why it’s good: Bristol has embedded absolutely loads of informative rich media in fact banks, including illustrations, a video and maps, about what they’re proposing and what impact the changes would have. I learned a lot just by clicking through the consultation.
Natural Resources Wales
Natural Resouces Wales (NRW) is responsible for the protection and management of public woods and forests in Wales. Hirnant Forest is one such place. NRW is proposing a few changes, namely the removal of certain tree species to prevent the spread of pests and diseases and to preserve the old growth within Hirnant Forest.
Why it’s good: I like that they’ve embedded a series of informative maps, and also put in a summary of their proposed actions for those that don’t want to read the full plans.
City of Edinburgh Council
Edinburgh are engaging residents on the Edinburgh Living Landscape, which is a scheme that creates and enhances green spaces in order to increase biodiversity across the city and help mitigate climate change. For example: sowing wildflowers in grassy areas to help insect populations. They’re seeking residents’ opinions on locations for additional projects and features – a bit like a Call for Sites, except for green spaces.
Why it’s good: it’s very simple and easy to fill out, as it should be for this type of exercise. I like that there’s an option for respondents to receive updates about the Edinburgh Living Landscape via email if they so wish.
Citizen Space is a citizen engagement platform trusted by government around the world. Government organisations and public bodies use Citizen Space to connect with more citizens, increase engagement and improve processes.
To learn more about what Citizen Space can do for your organisation, book a free demo and we’ll walk you through it.
