Local authorities across the UK are being handed a new evidence-based resource to help curb rising air pollution and create healthier urban environments.
The Urban Greening ‘How To’ Toolkit, developed through the UKRI-funded RECLAIM Network Plus, offers councils, councillors and community service teams clear, actionable guidance on how nature-based solutions can be deployed to improve air quality and deliver wider environmental benefits.
Co-created with the input of more than 700 members from academia, public services and civil society, the toolkit distils complex scientific research into practical checklists and decision-making support.
It covers seven pressing urban challenges – air pollution, biodiversity loss, flooding, health and well-being, heat, noise, and carbon storage – aiming to help local teams shape greener, climate-resilient neighbourhoods. Each section features an illustrated fact sheet highlighting what works, common pitfalls to avoid and the benefits of well-designed green and blue infrastructure.
In terms of air pollution, the toolkit explains that urban greening has already proven its value; in 2017 alone, trees and plants in British cities removed enough pollutants to save an estimated £163 million in healthcare costs.
It also looks at how green infrastructure such as trees, hedges, shrubs, parks and water features, removes pollutants through mechanisms such as particle capture, gas absorption and micro-climate cooling. It also provides detailed recommendations, showing how roadside hedges can cut pollution by up to 63%, green screens by 44%, and ‘living gates’ by more than 30% in school environments.
Councils can also access guidance on choosing the right species, avoiding VOC-emitting plants, and designing green features to suit street layouts while maintaining safety and visibility.
By equipping councils with science-led, targeted actions, the Urban Greening Toolkit is designed to accelerate progress toward cleaner air, healthier streets and the UK’s wider environmental goals.
Professor Prashant Kumar, Founding Director of University of Surrey’s Global Centre for Clean Air Research (GCARE) said: ‘Urban greening should make life better for everyone. When councils design green spaces that feel safe, welcoming and connected to daily routines, they support healthier and more active communities. We all want places we can enjoy, move through and take pride in, while helping nature to thrive in our towns and cities.
‘This guide gives councils the confidence to make choices that work locally. Most importantly, it gives councils a practical route to act now. How we design our communities is crucial because greener streets can save lives by cutting air pollution exposure, cooling neighbourhoods during heatwaves, lowering flood risk, supporting wildlife and improving mental and physical health.’
Cllr Catherine Houston, Lead Councillor for Climate Change and Leisure at Guildford Borough Council, said:
‘We’re proud to support the creation of the Urban Greening Toolkit, which brings together innovative, practical examples of how communities can make space for nature in our urban environments.
‘In Guildford, we recognise that tackling Climate Change requires leadership and collaboration, and this toolkit reflects the strength of our partnerships across the borough and beyond.
‘Urban Greening supports our Climate Change priorities, helping us to increase biodiversity, reduce carbon emissions, improve air quality and create cleaner and healthier places for residents to enjoy.
‘We’re proud that several Guildford-based projects feature in this toolkit, showcasing the creativity and commitment of local groups and organisations. We’re delighted to have supported its development and hope it encourages more people to get involved in shaping a greener future for all.”
The toolkit can be accessed here.
Photo: Fons Heijnsbroek
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