Nature-based Solutions

PROPERTY MANAGEMENT (NATIONAL)

AREA manages a diverse portfolio of urban residential, student and temporary accommodation assets across England and Scotland. Many of these sites sit within dense urban settings where green space is limited, yet expectations around biodiversity, climate resilience and environmental performance continue to grow.

AREA wanted to understand how nature could be enhanced across its portfolio in a way that was realistic, proportionate and aligned with long term asset management. This required a clear view of existing conditions, the scope for improvement, and the likely environmental and cost implications of different approaches to green infrastructure investment.

The Green Partnership was commissioned to assess biodiversity performance and opportunity across six AREA managed sites. Our work combined baseline ecological assessment with a design led exploration of how nature based solutions and green infrastructure could be integrated into each asset.

We assessed habitats and landscape features, mapped opportunities, and applied complementary tools to measure biodiversity and the wider benefits provided by nature. This enabled us to forecast how different designs could improve ecological value, strengthen ecosystem services such as cooling, water regulation and wellbeing, and perform over time.

Alongside this, we prepared high level forecasts for implementation and maintenance costs. This ensured that environmental benefits could be considered alongside affordability, operational implications and long term stewardship.
 

The assessment confirmed that all sites offered opportunities for nature positive improvement, even within tightly constrained urban environments. When considered across the portfolio, the measured outcomes showed clear and consistent gains.

On average, the proposed designs delivered an increase in habitat based biodiversity value of around 55%. The design led biodiversity measure also showed a strong response, with an average improvement of approximately 13 additional biodiversity features per site, demonstrating the impact of targeted green infrastructure in urban settings.

Wider environmental benefits increased alongside biodiversity. Across the sites, the designs delivered improvements in an average of 12 ecosystem service indicators, including benefits linked to climate resilience, air and water regulation, pollination, carbon storage, wellbeing and sense of place.

Together, these results provided AREA with a clear evidence base to compare sites, understand how benefits scale with ambition, and prioritise investment across the portfolio.
 

This project gives AREA a practical framework for moving from aspiration to delivery. By combining measured environmental outcomes with proportionate cost forecasting, the work supports confident and informed decision making around where and how to invest in nature.

The result is a repeatable, site based approach that strengthens biodiversity, improves resilience and enhances the quality of place, while remaining grounded in operational reality and long term asset management.