​ Living Estates Strategy - University of Bristol

Since May 2017, Landsmith Associates has partnered with the University of Bristol's External Estates team to develop and implement a visionary Living Estate Strategy for their operational and supply chain. This ongoing collaboration aims to integrate biodiversity, accessibility, and climate resilience into the university's development and land management approaches, directly supporting their climate and ecological ambitions. The project is grounded in Natural England's Green Infrastructure Standards, ensuring the campuses are planned and enhanced to provide multifaceted benefits for nature, climate, and the community.

Landsmith Associates has provided a range of services, from RIBA Work Stages 0 to 1, encompassing:
_Baseline assessments of elements e.g. tree canopy cover, urban green factor, habitat types, accessible green space etc.
_Stakeholder engagement, including student surveys to understand their use and valuation of green spaces.
_Sustainability reporting and strategy planning.
_Research, including case study visits to other estates.

Key outputs from this consultancy include the "Future Vision of External Estates," a Green Infrastructure (GI) Framework developed in 2020, and campus-level GI Strategies, such as for Clifton Campus Extended (2025). They also developed detailed "Living Estate SMART Targets" for 2025–2035, with metrics for canopy cover, biodiversity net gain, urban greening, and access, all of which feed into the broader University of Bristol sustainability strategy. This work, which a former Head of External Estates described as offering a "fresh view," has had a significant impact, informing the university's long-term planning and capital project briefs, and is being piloted and tested for target confirmation. The Living Estate is also a case study in the Nature Positive Universities programme, aligning with Building with Nature benchmarks