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Historically, masterplanning has been led by the design of road networks and building plots with the result that opportunities for maximising the significant benefit of ecosystem services are frequently lost. We have global experience in contributing to strategic eco-masterplans. Our project portfolio includes developments on both greenfield and brownfield sites in, for example: the UK, the United Arab Emirates, the Caribbean, Singapore and Malaysia. Our work includes the analysis of the biological and other natural forces behind baseline trends, and a review of the multiple socio-cultural, political and economic factors that affect the environment within and around project sites.
We have international project experience in restorative ecotourism whereby contributions from tourism-related revenues help to fund ecosystem restoration. For example, in Malaysia for the Iskandar Development Corporation and the East Coast Economic Region Development Council we have collaborated with others to produce regional strategies for Ramsar Sites and National Parks. In the UK we have worked on habitat restoration and creation projects for large-scale second home developments in which new properties are sold as much for their location amidst biodiverse, well-managed habitats, as for their architectural merits.
The provision of food and clean water; carbon capture by ecosystems, coastal defence by mangroves and saltmarshes, and the engendering of physical and psychological wellbeing by greenspace, are all examples of 'ecosystem services'. Such services can be linked to economic benefits. Studies of property sales, for example, have shown that biodiverse greenspace landscapes can elevate property prices significantly. We frequently undertake qualitative and semi-quantitative assessments of ecosystem service provision by green and blue infrastructure, presenting the results as Ecosystem Services and Biodiversity Strategies for projects at all scales, with clear targets and measurable Key Performance Indicators.
