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Greenstructure and
Urban Planning - Case Study - Sheffield, UK - Landscape |
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The Sheffield Landscape For information about the landscapes of the area and how they have been influenced by human action read: The Making of the South Yorkshire Landscape, Melvyn Jones, Wharncliffe Books, Sheffield. Sheffield contains the most varied landscapes to be found in any city in the UK. These landscapes range from the dense urban centre, through the built-up housing and industrial areas of the City to its hills, lakes (dams) and moorlands. From every part of Sheffield the hills dominate the skyline. Its river valleys lead up to the open countryside that surrounds the City to the north, south and west. The geology of the area explains to a large extent the variation in the loca natural landscapes, as well as the initial growth of this city as an industrial centre linked to local natural resources. It is the unique combinations of natural and human cultural factors that have shaped Sheffield's landscape and created its special qualities and character.
Sheffield has a wider range of natural habitats than any other UK city. These habitats range from woodlands, moorlands, wetlands and meadows to those found in allotments and gardens. As a result biodiversity levels are relatively high over much of the City, when compared with the situation in other major UK cities.There is a strong division in terms of urban landscape and natural landscape between the west and south of the City and the east and north - this reflects both geology and soils, as well as human settlement patterns. The later followed industrial growth.
This part of Britain has been settled since earliest times. For instance, in the part of the City that is within the Peak District National Park, to the west of the built up area, there is evidence of early human settlement, with remains found from the Bronze Age and Iron Age. The Romans were here too, building forts and roads within and near the site of present day Sheffield. There is a problem with the landscape within those parts of the City where the landscapes were damaged by past industrial uses. In addition, problems for the quality of life and the local townscape were caused by the developments of recent past - particularly in the north of the City where vast areas of social housing were built in the second half of the 20th century, as the old workers' housing was cleared. From the 1970s changes in the industrial base of Sheffield, which was founded on cutlery manufacture and steel production, meant that almost one tenth of the City lost its reason for existance. The Lower Don Valley, where most of the major heavy industry was centred from the 1880s to the 1970s, was so devastated by the closure of factories that the Government set up a special body to oversee its regeneration during the 1990s. This has resulted in the rebuilding of one of the heartlands of British industry and in so doing the building up of a "new" industrial landscape along the River Don in the lowest parts of the City.
Figure 1- Geology and
major rivers of South Yorkshire There are three main rivers in Sheffield. The Don, The Sheaf and The Rother. Together with their small streams they are a resource of great worth for recreation today, just as they were important in stimulating industry in the past. Figure 2 - Sheffield - topography
At its lowest point, in the east of the municipality along the River Don, the land is 10m above sea level; at the highest in the hills to the west the height is 546m. There are few major cities with such a variation in height within their boundaries anywhere and this adds to the uniquenes of Sheffield, as it allows for such a variety of landscapes within one city. The valleys to the west are deeply incised and create very special enclosed landscapes, allowing the urban dwellers to experience almost wilderness landscape on their walks near their homes. The valleys have been protected from development and agriculture because of their steep sides; they were natural linear parks long befpore the City recognised them as such. The valleys are used as recreational routes and the Sheffield Round walk is known to many local people. In earlier times small factories developed along the streams and rivers using the water power in connection with cutlery making. It was only in the early 1800s that industry moved out of the valleys into the centre of the then market town of Sheffield and then, as steam power allowed, the large factories were built along the river Don on the flat land to the east of the City centre. In recent decades a successful attempt has been made to open up a walkway through the lower part of the Don Valley; the five weirs walk and the Canal Walk now add to the range of recreational walks available in the City. The table below (Figure 3) illustrates just how much of the City is really too high for urban development. In Britain, land over 200m is very hostile territory in winter and requires houses to be better insulated or to use extra energy. It is notable that up to the end of the Victorian period very few houses were built above 200m in Sheffield. It is also of interest that all the houses built for the "better off" in Sheffield in Victorian and Edwardian times were on south facing slopes, if they were built at higher elevations. It is only since the 1930s that houses started to be built on the higher ground and many of these are expensive to heat. Figure 3 - Sheffield - topography
Natural Landscape and Greenstructure As can be seen in Figure 4 below, Sheffield municipality has a very clear greenstructure pattern. This structure developed over the centuries as the built-up area gradually expanded. Some parts of the present day city's land could be easily developed and other areas could not, due in the main to topographic considerations. The present greenstructure is a direct response to the interaction between the need to develop and the pre-existing local topography. Only a small part of the greenstructure has in reality been consciously planned. The growth of settlement in this area has been well recorded since the Domesday Book in 1086 AD. (This was the first national record of land-use, ownership, economic resources and population for England.) In the 12th century the area that is now Sheffield was occupied by a number of small hamlets and villages - it was well wooded and large areas were used as hunting forest. The villages gradually grew over the centuries and by 1700 Sheffield was the main market town of the area, located at a crossing point of the River Don. Metal working has been in evidence in this area since Roman times and with industrialisation there was a skilled labour force which could be exploited for manufacturing. From this point on the City of Sheffield started to grow. The greenstructure is not for the most part the result of conscious planning (see above); rather it is a response to local topography and soils modified by climate. Figure 4 - Sheffield - Pattern of Greenstructure
A major component of the open green land to the west of the City is moorland. This is a mixture of poor grasses and heather-covered area. It has a low stocking density of sheep at about 1 per hectare, as it is very poor soil. The land is also used by shooting parties at ceratin times of the year, when grouse are in season. At these times the land is closed to other recreation persuits.
Photo 4 an 5 - Sheffield moors on the east of the city. These extensive landscapes are very well used by walkers, runners and also by climbers, where rocks outcrop. The photograph below shows one of the hills just beyomd the city boundary, which is a well known prehistoric site.
Another component of the non-built up area is agriculture. As noted above much of the farmed land is within theCity's Green Belt and development is strongly controlled. Although the public does not have access to the fields there is a dense network of footpaths which the City keeps open for recreational users. Public footpaths and byways, as well as bridle paths, are legal rights of way for pedestrians and, in certain places, horses.
Photo 6 - Sheffield, Porter Valley -This rural idyll is only 50 metres from the edge of a housing area. Such scenes attract visitors throughout the year.
Photo 7 Sheffield, Ecclesall - next to a housing site with a road alongside and with a development site adjacent, the sheep seem to graze peacefully enough.
Photo 8 and 9 - Views of the housing areas are not unattractive in the farmland landscape, as they are so well wooded. This area of farmland overlooks Fulwood, a suburb of Sheffield.
Photo 10 Looking down
through farmland towards Ranmoor, the important role played
by trees and small woods, both in the rural area and in the
built-up area can be seen.
Landscape Planning The Environmental Planning Team of the City is responsible for landscape planning and also for the stimulation of a range of environmental improvements projects in an attempt to achieve their goal of enhancing Sheffield's countryside and rural landscape. The Team is also responsible for tree preservation in new developments and within the the areas with Conservation Status. They have designed a wide range of open space improvements, with the aim of securing sustainable improvements to Sheffield's environment for the benefit of local communities. Current projects include:
TheTeam also works closely with communities and the voluntary sector to bring improvements to Sheffield's countryside and urban fringe. Recent successes include:
The Department cares for the trees in the City's 35 Conservation Areas. Recently they have been dealing with over 450 applications per annum to carry out work to trees and have also issued about 20 new Tree Preservation Orders. The Team also advises on the quality of landscape for new developments submitted for planning permission, carries out various feasibility studies and provides advice to other parts of the Council on many issues that affect the environment.
All photographs are © Anne R. Beer, 2003 but users are free to download and use as they wish, with the proviso that the copyright is always acknowledged. Students may use the text as they wish provided they again acknowledge the sources of the text. To view the Case Studies
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