Research partnership with Manchester Urban Diggers explores the future of grassroots green infrastructure projects.

Dr Filippo Oncini, Honorary Researcher at the SCI, was part of a recent Collaboration Labs research partnership with Manchester Urban Diggers, which explored the future of grassroots green infrastructure projects in Greater Manchester and beyond.

The interactive workshop led by Filippo explored the role of urban gardening in helping us to build safe, resilient and sustainable cities, and how Manchester Urban Diggers CIC and other urban growers are driving environmental and social change across our city-region.

With 30% of the UK’s territorial greenhouse gas emissions produced by our food systems, Dr Jo Mylan, Lecturer in Sustainability and Innovation at the University, conducted research on why we must incorporate food into Manchester’s Climate Change Response, and the transformational possibilities of sustainable food in the city.

The people behind Manchester Urban Diggers also gave attendees a tour of their premises and talked about their experience of setting up a community market garden and other community food growing projects across Greater Manchester.

The workshop built on the findings of a research partnership between MUD and three Manchester-based researchers: Dr Filippo Oncini, (The University of Manchester), Ling Li (The University of Liverpool) and Sarah Walker (Manchester Metropolitan University). The workshop was facilitated by Collaboration Labs, based at The University of Manchester and funded by the Economic and Social Research Council.