SuDS bring nature to the city

A team of scientists working in Inverness has identified simple management and design techniques to make Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) better for wildlife. They found that ecological quality is linked to pond and surrounding habitat characteristics, with ponds offering opportunities for local people to experience more diverse nature than other SuDS features. However, access to diversity of nature wasn’t equally available to all, with less affluent neighbourhoods typically having SuDS of lower ecological quality. Poor design can be remedied by good management, ameliorating this discrepancy. The results can be applied to both the design and management of SuDS to foster good ecological quality irrespective of the neighbourhood, thus providing more socially equitable access to high-quality urban blue space.