SMURF - Sustainable Management of Urban Rivers & Floodplains

The SMURF project aimed to reduce pollution and flooding in the River Tame. The project’s specific objectives were to: • Implement a sustainable land-use and water management plan in the urban floodplain; • Improve of the amenity, ecological status and sustainable drainage of the river basin; • Involve local citizens in the planning and urban river basin; • Establish ecological objectives for the river system and a transferable sustainable indicators set; • Develop a detailed land-use planning model to govern future redevelopment in the floodplain; and • Demonstrate how small-scale modifications can significantly improve a heavily modified waterway. The project involved local community, through focus groups, and defined the targets for renovation of a stretch of the River Tame. Measures taken included making the river more accessible, clearing away undergrowth and planting bulbs and shrubs. Parts of the river were also reconstructed in order to allow the river to pursue a more natural course.