INTRODUCTION
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W e lcome to New West End Company’s first Sustainability Report, focusing on Urban Greening. Just over a year ago, we introduced A Sustainable District as the fourth pillar of New West End Company’s 2020–2025 Business Plan. This came from actively listening to our 600+ property and occupier members, who made it clear that sustainability is a key priority. Our on-street visitor surveys also underscore this, with “more spaces to relax” and “more green spaces” consistently topping the list of desired improvements to the West End. As the Business Improvement District representing the UK’s premier retail, leisure, and hospitality destination, we already collaborate closely with partners, members, and the local community to drive social inclusion and economic resilience across the West End. Rather than reinvent the wheel, however, we’re building on the exceptional work our members are already doing. Day in, day out, they continue to explore innovative ways to embed sustainability into the very fabric of our district. We don’t need to look far for inspiration – it’s right here on our doorstep. That’s why we’ve launched this report series: to highlight and complement our members’ efforts, sharing tailored innovations that suit the specific needs of the West End. This report allows us to learn from one another, featuring best-practice case studies directly from those driving these initiatives. Within these pages, you’ll discover everything from visionary, forward-thinking ideas to practical, actionable takeaways you can start implementing today. To help you better understand how each innovation might apply to your business, we’ve included West End Views, marked by our logo, throughout. I hope you find this report insightful and inspiring. Welcome
Contents EDITION 1 2024
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04 CASE STUDY Renovation provides opportunities for nature 06 NUNA STUDIO Could cork make living walls even greener?
16 VERTUO Novel, self-irrigating planting systems
18 OMC°C Climbing plants add urban greenery 20 CASE STUDY Partnerships deliver a ‘Wild West End’ 22 SINGULARGREEN Green shades for tight urban spaces
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08 ZAUBEN Machine learning for low- maintenance green walls 10 ROOFSCAPES Bringing greenery to the roofs of historic city buildings 12 RESPYRE Moss-covered concrete for efficient greening
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24 GENTIAN AI and satellites herald a new era for urban biodiversity 26 BIOO From energy-generating microbes to bioluminescence...
14 SUGI ‘Pocket forests’ boost urban biodiversity
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Warmest regards, Nathan Parsad-Wyatt
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newwestend.com
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