Green Infrastructure Mapping Database. Urban Habitat and Naturalness Mapping Phase 3

An Earth Observation based approach to developing Urban Habitat and Naturalness Maps was developed during 2021/22 and further refined during 2022/23 which included the upscaling of application of the method to a small selection of major urban conurbations in England (Tyneside, Greater Manchester, Greater Birmingham). In upscaling (known as the Phase 1 roll out), the Urban Habitat and Naturalness method was refined to a point where it is intended that no further refinements will be made so as to ensure that a suite of maps for all the major urban conurbations in England can be developed with a consistent method underpinning their development. Subsequent methodological modifications may then be made to create an updated method for use in developing any second iteration Urban Habitat and Naturalness Maps in the future. The focus of this contract will be on applying the established method to a third phase suite of areas in order to expand the England coverage of Urban Habitat and Naturalness maps. The target areas for Phase 3 of the Urban Habitat and Naturalness mapping are the East Midlands including Nottingham, Derby and Leicester, Teesside, Coventry, Stoke and Newcastle under Lyme, Dartford and Gravesham, Sheffield and Rotherham. The contact will apply the mapping method to the target areas and deliver a suite of GIS based whole area maps of Broad and Detailed Urban Habitats, Naturalness and Combined Naturalness Factor maps for publicly accessible green spaces. The mapping will cover the area within the combined administrative boundaries of the local authorities within the target areas.